Dawn of the Wolf
by boombamfirepower
Summary: Ten years ago, the Valley fell. Yù, a young fox, arrives in the Jade Palace looking for food. Instead she finds a prophecy. Can she reunite the Furious Five for one last mission? Or will China fall to the wolves?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: *peeks around corner* heyyyyy guuuyyyyssss

If you guessed that I have totally abandoned my other KFP story, you'd be right. BUT I came up with this idea while writing an essay (of course) and I just couldn't put it away. SO without further ado, let's begin… *evil laughter*

 _At first, it was all too much._

 _Smoke hung heavily in the air, like an unwanted blanket on a summer's night._

 _She couldn't see much beyond the shadow of that haze. Every sound was like the thud of a drum. It echoed in her ears but had no meaning. She lifted her head slowly. One paw placed itself on the ground. She tried getting up, but something had her pinned. She pushed more, feeling the strain on her ribs. Nothing came of it._

" _TIGRESS!"_

 _She heard that. But where was it?_

 _The smoke seemed to be fading, but her vision still swam._

" _Tigress." It wasn't a yell this time, but a sigh of relief. She felt a paw cup her cheek and she knew exactly who it was._

" _Po." Her voice was almost a whisper. The smoke made breathing difficult._

" _Hold on. I'll get you out." His paw left her and moved to whatever was currently laying on top of her. Suddenly, she felt the pressure leave her body. She took in a deep breath, gasping for some oxygen that wasn't tainted._

" _Come on." He crouched next to her and supported her so she could sit up._

" _What happened?" She asked. "'Where are the others?"_

" _I don't know." He shook his head. "I think they got out. We're the only ones left. We need to move, before they find us."_

 _He helped her to stand and supported her bad side. Her left leg was crushed and unusable at the moment. Her ribs screamed with every breath. Even her nerveless paws ached._

" _If we make it to the river, we could try to find a boat." She said once they had gotten into the trees. For some reason, no one had come for them yet. It made her wary. Where were they? Why weren't they trying to find them?_

" _Yeah. It's just north." He remembered. Of course, the river was smaller there, but it would be a starting point. He had been back and forth to the Pool of Sacred Tears enough to know where its adjoining river began._

 _The forest was oddly quiet as they hobbled along, like it was holding it's breath. It remained that way until they reached the small stream._

 _A howling sound made them freeze._

" _Come on." He hissed. He hobbled them along quicker. When they went to cross the stream, he flat out picked her up and carried her across. Another howl sounded, closer by this time._

" _Run." He took off at as fast a sprint as he could while holding her, all while keeping close to the bank of the river as it began to grow wider and wider. Once it dropped off into the falls, he began trying to think of ways to climb down._

 _It's no wonder that he missed the massive tree root._

 _They tumbled and rolled for a moment before they stopped, several feet from one another. Po got back to his feet quickly, Tigress did not._

" _Ti…come on…we need to move." He gathered her up again and heard her groan in pain._

 _A howl, only a few meters away, got his heart racing even faster._

" _Well what do we have here?" The cold voice made Po's blood freeze. "You weren't trying to escape, were you?" His tone was mocking. He chuckled, watching the panda attempt to help Tigress stand. The white wolf cocked his head inquisitively, watching. The other wolves, finally joining their leader, snarled and itched to tear after the two warriors. "We captured a few of your other friends. Did you think we won't do the same to you, Dragon Warrior?"_

 _Po didn't say anything he just watched the fifty or so wolves that now formed a half moon shape in front of them. At his back was a death fall into the gorge. He wasn't fighting his way out with this one._

" _Po," Tigress muttered quietly through clenched teeth._

" _Awww," said the wolf, "don't tell me we're getting a romantic confession. Those things make me sick."_

" _Po," Her voice was slightly stronger this time. The panda looked down at her," come find me."_

 _He frowned. "Wha-"_

 _Using as much force as she could, she placed a paw on his chest and shoved as hard as she possibly could. He cleared the trees easily._

 _And fell straight into the gorge._

" _NO-"_

" _TIGRESS!"_

 _And then darkness._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So a couple thangs

1) I haven't decided yet if there will be a romance in this story, so don't pester me about it.

2) Since the masters have been gone ten years, that makes them in their late 30s-early 40s. This is just in case you need a reference.

3) I will update when and if I can, which may not be for a week, or I'll update three times in one day. It really depends.I'm a college student if that makes any difference

 _Ten Years Later_

"Water." Yù moaned to herself.

Even in the shade of the trees, the heat seemed to stab into her like a knife in her back. She shifted her pack slightly on her back. It didn't help at all. Even her usually-lively tail drooped. She thought about stopping, but she knew that once she sat down she wouldn't get back up.

Her footsteps stumbled for a moment, and she tripped over her own two feet and landed on her knees. "Ugh, I'm such an idiot." She groaned. She just sat there for a moment on her knees with her eyes closed. She could hear the tittering of birds in the trees.

It was a tickle of wind that caught her attention; a cool breeze despite the heat. One of her ears perked up as she heard….rushing water? Her eyes flew open. She shouldered her bag and took off in the direction of the sound.

When she had finally reached the stream, she collapsed on the bank and began shoveling mouthfuls of water into her maw. Her soaked paws worked themselves over the back of her neck. She sighed in relief as the clear droplets rolled along the fur on her back. Once she felt much cooler, she grabbed a water pouch from her bag and filled it.

Once she put the pouch away, she sat here a moment and enjoyed the quiet.

Yù was almost reluctant to leave the spot, but she needed to keep moving, especially if she wanted to avoid patrols. She gathered up her things and starting following the little river.

"Maybe I can find a town." She thought. "There's gotta be one at the beginning of this river."

No sooner had she completed the thought that a distinctive howl could be heard in the distance.

"Wolves!" She took off in a random direction, her small size allowing her to move quickly through the trees. After a moment of running, she realized that the thicket had turned to bamboo.

"Where am I?" She asked herself, but she didn't dare stop. She pushed through the thicket until it became clear that she was running on a somewhat-clear path. Her head was so into running away that she didn't notice the subtle change from a dirt path to a stone one.

She slid to a stop and looked around, finally noticing the squatty houses and stone pathways. It was obvious the town was deserted. Her chest was heaving. Her instincts were screaming at her to hide. She jogged further and made the first right she came to, finding herself in a back alley. A left turn and she was at the back entrance of a small, one-story house. Age had worn the color, but she could tell it used to be red. She ducked in just as distant voices could be heard at the edge of town. She couldn't hear what they were saying.

She threw her pack into the old dresser in the bedroom, knowing it wouldn't do her any good to hide with the lumpy thing on. She looked around desperately, and finally noticed the bed in the corner. It was just high enough that she could squeeze under. She moved as far back into the corner as she could and pulled her knees up to her chest. The voices seemed to be getting closer.

"Anything boss?" Called one wolf to another. There was a reply, but it was too far away for her to her clearly.

"We should finishing checking these houses quickly and get moving. Boss wants us in Ho Ching by nightfall." Called a third. She could hear a fourth one pass by the window above the bed she was hiding under. Yù heard his footsteps linger for a moment and held her breath.

"Let's get moving. 'Must have headed the other direction." He said and walked off. Yù released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

She waited for what felt like an hour after they left, feeling the sweat trickle down her back. It was only when she felt claustrophobic that she left from her hiding spot.

"I should get out of here." She said, talking to no one in particular. She grabbed the bag from the wardrobe and put it on.

She exited out the front of the house and made her way into what looked like the main square. It was so quiet that her footsteps felt like they were causing earthquakes. There in the center of town were two stone feet on a stone pedestal. The top half of the statue was missing, reduced to nothing but a trail of rubble on the other side. Whatever inscription at its base was gone. Only one word was distinguishable.

"Valley?" Yù frowned. "What Valley?" Did it mean the one she was standing in? She could see mountains rising up in the distance. One particularly short one caught her eye.

She moved away from the statue and continued further down the main road, glancing around her as she did so. Most of the buildings were destroyed, some around the outskirts of the village remained intact. Wooden stalls, the remains of an old marketplace, lined the path. Most of the houses had lost their color with age. Aside from a few patched of weeds, there were no plants or grass anywhere.

The path curved, and when she rounded the corner, Yù found what she had been looking for. Straight ahead was that small mountain.

Leading up to it was a ridiculously tall staircase. Just the thought of climbing it made her sweat. However, something in her gut was drawing her closer. In fact, she had climbed most of the stairs before she even began to get tired. When she made it to the top, the found that it was not nearly as hard as she thought it would be.

"What the hell happened here?" She asked to the quiet. What seemed to have been the entry gates were blown to smithereens. Massive chunks of wood littered what could only be the courtyard. The building on her left was nothing but a stone foundation. The roof of what looked like the main building had caved in on one side. The long, rectangular building on her right had a chunk missing, but was otherwise in decent shape. She decided to head to her right first.

Yù entered through a hole in the wall, into what she could only describe as a bedroom. Remarkably, the door leading to the hallway was still intact. She slid it open and stepped through carefully.

She didn't really want to go looking through all of them, mostly because she already felt as though she was walking through someone else's home.

"But what happened to them?" She said to no one. Yù made her way slowly down the hall, but even doing that didn't stop the obnoxious floor from squeaking.

Eventually she came to the only door that seemed to be open. Almost immediately, she stepped on something sharp.

"SHIT!" She grabbed her foot, but lost her balance and fell flat on her butt. Sitting on front of her was the offending object…a throwing star? She reached out tentatively and grabbed it off of the ground.

Something about it seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

She used the wooden frame of the door to help her stand. Her foot didn't hurt too badly when she put pressure on it, but her rear end and tail throbbed. When she entered the room again, she made sure to watch for more sharp objects.

The room itself was cluttered. Not unclean, just unorganized. Some scrolls sat piled up on the small dresser in the corner. A couple more of those throwing stars sat next to them. On the small side table sat a pair of nun chucks that looked like they had never been touched. It was what was on the window sill that caught her attention.

Five action figures.

There was a tiger, a mantis, a monkey, a snake, and a crane. Something about them seemed familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had heard about them. She moved away from the window and over to the dresser where the scrolls sat.

She prodded one with her paw, and it rolled open. Drawn rather well was a figure of a tortoise, in a stance that looked all too familiar.

"Oh god." She was suddenly filled with dread.

She knew then. The figures, the throwing stars, the scrolls, the statue. She knew exactly where she was.

It seems she had stumbled on the Valley of Peace.

A/N: Oh I meant to warn you. If the formatting is weird, it's not my fault. My computer got funked up.

Boomie out.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: For the sake of this chapter, everything in italics is a flashback. Oh, and enjoy the cameo ;)

Yù couldn't get out of the room fast enough.

She managed to keep from tripping until she was in the hallway, but a weak board collapsed under her foot. For the second that she fell, she was weightless, but then her foot hit hard ground and pain shot up her ankle. She sat forward and slowly pulled her foot out of the hole.

"I can't catch a break, can I?" She shook her head.

After checking out her foot, and finding that it wasn't hurt, she stood slowly and decided to carefully tiptoe her way out of the barracks. As silly as it sounded, she didn't want to risk falling again. So she made her way as slowly as possible towards what she presumed was the exit. Once Yù got to the end, she was very happy to find a door to the outside. She took a few deep breaths of clean air-the barracks had been musty-and reveled in the sunlight from the setting sun.

 _Growl._ She groaned. Her stomach felt hollow. _Growl._

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to be able to smell some kind of food. A sweet scent drew her down a rocky path. She opened her eyes and tried her best not to trip over stones and roots. The scent carried her up a hill, and once she cleared the top of it, she found herself at the base of a massive peach tree.

"Cool." She breathed. Judging by the overwhelming number of peach blossoms, the fruit must have been getting ripe. A few peaches hung in the lower branches, and she was able to gather them easily. Yù sat under the tree and tore into them eagerly. After all these years, she could finally say she was full.

Yù must have dozed off, because she opened her eyes and found that the sun had slunk below the horizon. The sky over the mountains had transformed to hues of blues and purples. The stars were just becoming visible.

"So it's as pretty as they say." She murmured quietly. Of course, she had only heard tales of the Valley. Any mention of it was seen as a crime, so most of the stories were whispered along trade routes and passed in secret. "I wish I could have lived here."

A breeze ruffled the tree she was sitting under, and a few petals blew off. There was a massive gust, and the entire tree suddenly went bare. She jerked up from her spot and watched as the sea of petals moved like a river, dancing along the breeze. It was enchanting, like a show. She stood slowly, feeling a sudden desire to not disturb their dance.

The stream moved back along the path she had come from. She took off, following them as best she could. They led her in between buildings and back towards the main courtyard. They circled around the courtyard a few times and then burst through the front doors of the main building.

She was hesitant to follow it. Some part of her wondered if it was a trap. Still, though, she had nothing better to do.

Yù entered the main building carefully, watching for anything that she could possibly trip over.

"Woah." The inside of the hall was magnificent, despite the outward appearance. Even though a chunk of the ceiling had fallen through, she could still see the massive dragon statue that hung from it. The pool underneath it contained water as clear as crystal, completely unchanged by the outside world. Along the back wall, rows and rows of scrolls sat perfectly organized. Even the massive columns that supported the building shone with brilliance, the red paint seemingly fresh. The peach petals seemed to settle all around the room.

"What do I do?" She asked out loud.

"You could try getting the scroll."

Not expecting someone to respond, she yelped and skittered backwards so fast that she stumbled and fell.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." A small paw suddenly appeared at her right side. She looked up at it's owner, and found herself looking at a small red panda. She took the paw gratefully and stood.

"I know you." She said simply, turning to look at him. "I mean, I've heard stories." He smiled slightly and bowed. She found that he was about a foot shorter than her. "What are you doing here, Master Shifu?"

"This is my home." He said simply. He hobbled ahead of her, using a cane she didn't realize he had at first. He kneeled down to pick up a blossom, and she watched as he rubbed it between his fingers. "It seems the peach tree of Heavenly Wisdom brought you here."

She felt her heart drop. She had _eaten_ from that tree. "About that. I-uh-"

"You ate a peach?" He chuckled and stood back up. "It's alright. Po did the same when he first got here." His voice faded softly, as though he were in pain.

"What happened here?" She asked him. She almost regretted her question when his face went dark.

"We should have seen it coming." He started. He walked over to the pool and sat slowly, wincing as he did so. She sat cross legged at the base of the stairs and waited for him to continue.

"I had received a message from the Imperial city requesting our help with a wolf problem in the southern province."

 _"What's going on, Master?" Viper slithered into one of the big wooden chairs and watched him expectantly. They were all gathered in the kitchen, having just started eating. Po was facing away from him towards the sink, washing bowls for soup. Monkey and Crane were cursing over a checkerboard._

 _"The Wolves have grown increasingly active as of late." The entire room seemed to tense at his words. Mantis' spoon clattered into his bowl. Crane and Monkey stopped their game of checkers. Tigress glanced to Po's back as a wooden bowl clattered harshly into the sink. Shifu dropped the scroll on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose._

 _Viper slithered over and glanced at the scroll from where he put it. "The imperial council has asked for our help."_

 _"But why?" Crane spoke up. "There have been rumors of the wolves taking over port villages for weeks. Why are they just now calling us in?"_

 _"Because they have become bolder." Shifu gestured to the scroll. "A few days ago, three different cities in the southern province were burned to the ground. The Imperial council believes there may be an underlying threat to the Emperor. That is why they are calling us in now."_

 _"What would we do?" Mantis asked. "If we were o go after them, how would we do it?"_

 _"That's a good point, Master." Monkey spoke. "There are seven of us and thousands of them."_

 _"I have not thought about it yet." Shifu admitted. "I just received the scroll moments ago."_

 _There was silence among them._

 _"Come on, guys." Viper finally spoke. "We haven't backed from a challenge in so long. Why haven't we done anything about it yet? Why is there so much hesitation?"_

 _"Do you know how many wolves Shen had on standby?" Po finally spoke from where he stood at the kitchen basin. He grabbed a towel and turned towards them. "Even before he attacked my village, he had over three thousand. Master Croc told me that there were over ten thousand in his ranks by the time Shen died. If even half of those remained in China, we're screwed." His voice was eerily calm. He dried his hands and just held the towel there for a moment._

 _"When did you find that out?" Shifu frowned._

 _"Wolf boss told us after Shen was defeated." Po shrugged._

 _It was quiet for a moment, but then Shifu spoke up. "Tigress, you are being awfully quiet. What are you thinking?"_

 _The others looked to their unofficial leader. She thought for a moment, before saying "It isn't just the wolves I'm worried about." She made eye contact with Shifu. "Boss also told us that Shen recruited timber wolves from the north."_

 _"But why?" Monkey frowned._

 _"Timber wolves specialize in torture techniques." She replied." They were the ones keeping the wolves in line from behind the scenes. If they're involved in this-"_

 _"None of this makes any sense." Po sputtered. "Why go all the way to the North for reinforcements? On top of that, why wait two years after Shen's death to start killing again?"_

 _"Master," Tigress glanced at her father, "we can't do this alone."_

 _He looked at all of their faces one by one, and in them he saw a mix of worry, doubt, and anxiety. "Then we will need some help."_

"That was my mistake." Shifu said quietly, and Yù looked up at him. "I separated them. Sent them to different directions to get reinforcements. They never made it."

"What happened?" Yù asked, but she feared the answer.

"Po, Tigress, and I remained here. Crane was sent to Dai Lee, Viper to Ho Ching, Mantis to Jun Jing, and Monkey to Lee Nao. A far as I know, they were captured. I cannot bear to think the worst." His head bowed. "Tigress and Po were training when they brought the cannons."

A/N: sorry to break the chapter up weird, but otherwise it would have been too long.

Boomie out


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm HEEERRRRREEEEE! And after one of the best days of my life, it seems only right that I would oblige with a chapter.

It's a little shorter than the rest. Sorry about that.

 _"HIYAAAAAAAAAH" He threw his fist out with as much force as possible, which she caught, but used her block to jab his paw into her mid-section. It sent her back a few steps. However, she moved on instinct and kicked her leg up into his arm. Her foot connected with his forearm and he jerked his fist back. She went to throw a punch, which he dodged by ducking to the right. He spun on his left foot, and used his momentum to perform a roundhouse kick, which should have taken her down. However, he hesitated, and all she did was skitter back a few steps. The courtyard was quiet for a moment._

 _"You hesitated." She said, putting her paws on her hips. "Why?"_

 _"I don't know." He shrugged. "Didn't want to hurt you, I guess."_

 _"Po." He looked up. Wrong move. She sent him a punch to the gut that knocked him on his butt. "Do not hesitate. There is more power in learning to control the strength you have than there is trying to suppress it." She offered him a hand. "Let's go again."_

 _"Wait." He grabbed her wrist tightly._

 _"Po, what-"_

 _"They're here." He stood quickly and suddenly took off towards the training hall. "Master!"_

 _"I know." Shifu was running towards them. "Evacuate the villagers. We will do what we can to hold them off."_

"We managed to get them all out before the wolves could get into town." Shifu's voice had grown soft. "I lost track of them after that. There were so many of them. It wasn't long before we were overrun." His grip tightened on his cane. "I was injured. I managed to make it to the Dragon Grotto somehow. I thought it was odd that they never came after me. I assumed they just went after Tigress and Po."

"Did you try and find them?"

"Yes. By the time I finally regained consciousness, they had left." He sighed. "As soon as I was healthy, I began searching. For three years, I looked everywhere. I watched all five camps, but there were so many people in them. Even if I had found them, I would never have been able to rescue them myself. I found Viper and Monkey. They managed to escape. When I asked about the others, they said they would do what they could, and we would meet back here in the Valley."

"They never came." She finished. He nodded. "You never went back to look for them?"

"No." He replied. "I'm getting old, young one. Making the journey to those camps was hard the first time. I don't think I could make it a second." He used his cane to help him stand. She followed suit.

"Come here girl." He gestured for her to stand with him. She climbed the steps and stood by his side, gazing down into the crystalline water. "What is your name?"

"Yù."

"Yù? It means Jade, right?" He turned to look at her from the corner of his eye. She nodded in reply. "Fitting that a woman named Jade would end up in the Jade palace. Almost like destiny." Something mischievous sparkled in his eyes.

"What-" Before she could finish, he banged his staff against the ground. The peach petals that had been lying dormant suddenly begin to fly about, as though given instructions for a new dance. They swirled towards that massive dragon hanging from the ceiling, and seemed to float for a moment, before she realized that there was something in the dragon's mouth. Time seemed to stop as it teetered on the edge of the dragon's maw, before it fell into the old panda's waiting paw. "Woah." She finished.

"Before my predecessor passed on, he gave me this." Shifu held up the scroll for her to take. "But I don't think it was meant for me."

She took it rather reluctantly, and opened it slowly, as though expecting it to explode. Instead, she found a small note:

 _In fire and foe, come a dragon and peace._

 _Divided by struggle, united by death._

 _A warrior of Jade and a heart of stone._

 _A tree with roots deep underground, cannot simply be cut._

"What does that even mean?" She exclaimed, flipping the scroll over to see if anything was written on the back.

"I do not know." Shifu stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Oogway was never one to make things clear."

"So what am I supposed to do?" She found her voice was raising slightly in panic. "All I came here for was food and water, not some mumbo jumbo from a crazy old turtle!"

"Interesting." Shifu was watching her intently, a frown on his face. "I never mentioned that Oogway was a tortoise."

It was suddenly quiet in that old hall.

"How did you know who I was?" He was watching her expectantly. "Judging by how young you look, you were but a child when this place fell." He gestured around him to the palace. "So, how is it you know so much?" His voice was calm, but she noticed that his gaze was caught between suspicion and curiosity.

"I-It's a long story." She stuttered, caught off guard. "If you don't mind, it's not one I'm ready to tell."

He continued watching her for a moment, before shrugging. "We all have our demons." He replied. "I would not judge you for wanting to keep them private." He thought for a moment. "Come with me. There is a spare room above the training hall where you can stay for the night, if you wish."

"But-" She hesitated. "Thank you."

And when he turned back to look at her, there was something akin to kindness in his eyes.

A/N: Next chapter, we see some new peeps. Boomie out


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: What…you didn't think we would only focus on Yù did you? Come oooonnnn

Enjoy ;)

Despite the slight chill in the night air and the lateness of the hour, he refused to budge from his spot.

"Mantis," someone came up behind him, "you should eat something."

He hummed his response, eyes still closed. The boulder he perched on was bathed on moonlight…how long had he been sitting there?

"What exactly are you out here waiting for?" Said Jao. The young leopard cocked his head to one side, watching the bug slowly stand.

"I'm not waiting for anything." Replied the praying mantis. "Just meditating."

The feline rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "What are you meditating for?"

Mantis shook his head, growing slightly irritated at the predator and his constant chattering. "I'll know it when I feel it." He jumped off of the rock and gestured for the young one to follow. "Has there been any news?"

"No." Jao dipped his head. "We have agents in all five camps, but we have only heard back from three." He watched the older bug dip his head, a sure sign of worry. "I'm sure they're okay." He tried to be reassuring, but his voice gave away his doubt.

"They must have her hidden somewhere." Mantis sighed. "Ten years and we've accomplished nothing."

Jao shook his head at the bitterness in the old guy's voice. "I don't think _that_ is nothing." They had made it to the crest of the hill, and Jao gestured towards the massive camp of tents at the bottom of the hill. Their camp was the size of a small city.

"True." He opened his mouth to say something else, but a movement at the base of the hill caught their attention. "What is that?"

"Let's go find out." Mantis took off down the hill and the leopard followed, passing the bug easily.

Their "camp" had two entrances, one on each end. The main was at the base of the hill they were sprinting down. The second was at the other end.

Jao slid to a stop just behind the group of what looked like soldiers that was trying to enter. There was a large group of at least a hundred of them, all clad in armor and with massive swords. Mantis stopped, too ,for a split second, before he saw who was standing there.

"MONKEY!"

"MANTIS!" The simian turned and smiled widely. He held out his arms and Mantis jumped into them. He narrowly avoided being crushed by Monkey's hug by extending his feelers. Jao cocked his head to one side, watching the small master eventually get out of the hug and jump on the ape's shoulder.

"I didn't think I'd see you again, man!" Mantis was grinning like a child. His friend had on pants that were slightly too big and had a tear down the side. Despite looking worse for wear, he was a site for sore eyes.

"Me neither!" Monkey exclaimed. "When Shifu said he couldn't find you, I-"

"Shifu?" The bug suddenly went quiet. Jao watched the soldiers, who looked to be Monkey's friends, tense. "You've seen him?"

"Yeah a long time ago." The ape watched his friend out of the corner of his eye. "We were supposed to meet back in the valley but-" He lowered his head," things happened."

Mantis thought for a moment, his eyes a million miles away. "Come with me." He said quietly. "It seems we have a lot to talk about."

Mantis led him through the main path, leaving Jao to settle the soldiers into a small tent. Monkey looked around him with wide eyes, in awe of the scale of the camp. As they walked, Mantis pointed out a few of the notable tents, like the armory (the biggest of them all), the hospital, and the meeting area. He eventually led Monkey down a path to the right, towards a smaller tent that served as Mantis' office.

The bug jumped off of Monkey's shoulder and made his way to sit atop a small pile of boxes that served as a makeshift chair. Monkey sat cross legged in front of him. Mantis was quiet a moment, unsure how to break the tension slowly building in the space.

"Where have you been, Monkey?" asked Mantis, watching his friend. "Where did you end up?"

"Oddly enough, Gongmen." The simian chuckled. "I was on my way to Lee Nao when I decided to stop there for the night. When I went to leave the next morning, I found out from Master Croc that Lee Nao didn't even exist anymore. At some point during the night, the wolves had come in and burned the place to the ground." The air went still in the tent.

"You don't have to-"

"No, I want to." Monkey interrupted. He took a shaky breath. "I panicked. I knew I couldn't stay in Gongmen, so I left. Ho Ching was only fifty or so li away, so I tried to find Viper. I didn't know they had already set up a camp there." His voice faltered. Mantis watched his friend, unsure of how to comfort him.

"I've heard about the camps." The bug said quietly. Everyone had heard about them. Anyone even remotely related to Kung Fu was thrown into a work camp. This not only included students and masters, but also the townspeople that the school was housed in. There were five big ones scattered all the way across China. Mantis heard only a few stories of the torture techniques used behind those walls. They kept the warriors too weak to fight back. Plus even if they did, they were clearly outnumbered by wolves.

"I found her, though." Mantis jerked his head up to look at his friend. Something close to hope was welling in his chest. "Viper is alive."

"Where is she?" the bug asked breathlessly.

"I don't know." Monkey replied, smiling a little. "That brings me to the other part of my story."

"Which is?" Mantis was on the literal edge of his seat.

"I know where Po is."

 _"Monkey." The simian's head jerked up at his comrade's voice. "We are moving."_

 _"Great." Monkey jumped from his spot high in the branches and landed in a crouch next to Viper, who watched him with amusement._

 _"You look excited." She asked with a smile. They began walking back through the woods, or in Viper's case, slithering._

 _"I am." He replied. "It's been almost six years since we were in the Valley. Even if it is deserted-" His face fell for a brief moment._

 _"It will still be nice to be home." She finished and he nodded. "I wish we knew what happened to the others." She said after a moment. "We searched for over a year."_

 _"Do you think they're-" He didn't want to finish his statement._

 _"We have to keep faith, brother." She said quietly. "Plus, I know they are alive. I can feel it in my gut."_

 _He nodded and they continued in silence. The warriors soon reached the camp, or what was left of it. The tents had been packed into carts, the weapons distributed and the food stored away. They had a long trip to the Valley, and it would most likely be fraught with wolves._

"We knew that if we could make it to the valley in less than two months, we were making good time. We got three weeks down the road when we separated."

 _Monkey thought he was going to fall over. His feet ached, his back hurt, and even his tail was sore. It seemed as though several of the soldiers felt the same way, because they seemed to be trudging along rather than walking._

 _Monkey looked hopefully at the sky, but the sun seemed no closer to the ground than it had when he looked the last time._

 _"Hey Viper." He called. The snake slithered up beside him and gave him a questioning look. "You want a ride on my shoulder?"_

 _The snake pondered the offer for a moment. "I feel as though I should decline and walk with everyone else, but my body hurts too much for that nonsense." She giggled and slid up his waiting arm to perch herself on his muscular shoulder._

 _"How far away are we?" He asked, his tone betraying his exhaustion._

 _She glanced at him, her look sympathetic. "The last sign said over a hundred li." Her voice was quiet. "Still two weeks, at most. That is, if we hurry."_

 _He hung his head a bit, avoiding the glare of sun._

 _"Hey Masters!" There was a call from the other side of the cart they were walking beside. A boar poked his head around the wagon. "You guys need to see this!" He was pointing at a tree across the way._

"So," Mantis pressed," what was it?"

Monkey flat out laughed. "We saw it embedded in the tree. _Someone_ had carved the character for noodles."

A/N: Awwwwww…I had fun writing that.

Hey one quick thing to address. I have gotten a couple PMs about this so I just want to throw this out there. My OC will not be in any writing contests of any kind.

This is mainly because she is the means to an end. This story is about the Furious Five. I actually don't like OCs that run an entire story, because it's just uninteresting to me. It doesn't feel like fanfiction.

If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to review. I'm not a professional writer by any means, so simple grammar mistakes are bound to happen. BUT if you have any advice on my writing style, or you just wanna say hey, I'm down for that.

Sorry for the long rant. Thanks for reading. Boomie out


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Like I said my updating will rely totally on my work schedule and whether my body decides to give me a cold THREE DAYS before my job interview. I rearranged some things to give you a special chapter as an apology.

Loves you!

She sat on the floor, legs splayed back against the end of the bed, struggling not to hyperventilate. The massive gash across her cheek stung bitterly, and she found that her paws were shaking despite her desperately trying to control them. Never before had she felt so useless than in her time here. She briefly feared that she was becoming weak.

"No." She shifted her weight to her right side and placed her paw on the bed to try and lift herself up. Her arm shook as she tried to climb onto the bed. Her ribs screamed with every breath.

"No!" She recognized that voice. Who was it? As the boy came to help her, she looked into his face. Through the haze of her vision, she felt a flicker of recognition.

"Oh, Kai. It's you." She mumbled. He helped her sit on the bed and waited for her to stabilize herself before he took his hand off her back. He kept one of her paws his two for a moment and crouched at the end of the bed, looking up at her.

"You have a concussion." He muttered disapprovingly. Is that why she felt so dizzy? He moved away for a moment and grabbed a bowl filled with water, and a cloth. He gingerly placed the wet cloth on her cheek, and she jerked back with a hiss of pain. "Let me help you." He asked pleadingly. She nodded slowly and leaned forward to let him look at her. Tigress found that he was one of a few still left that she trusted implicitly. There were very few allies in this palace. She couldn't turn Kai down. Not after all the years they had spent together.

"Did they hurt you?" She asked him. He shook his head, but his ears flattened.

"They won't touch me, at least I don't think they will. I guess I'm too valuable to them. " He paused a moment. "What do you think will happen when I come of age?"

She frowned. "I don't know, Kai." Tigress did know, though. As soon as he was old enough, she would probably be killed. He was her lifeline, and he turned sixteen in just under a year. She wouldn't trouble him with that, though. It wasn't his burden to bear. She only hoped he would remain safe.

She froze when his paws found the buttons of her shirt and grabbed his paw roughly. "Let me look." He insisted. She hesitated a moment, and then dropped her paw. Of course, she had bindings on, but she didn't want what he saw to make him feel bad. "Oh my god." He muttered. Her entire torso was one massive bruise.

"Kai, don't." She stood suddenly and grabbed a new shirt from her dresser.

"Is this because of me?" He asked, watching her grab her silk robe from the chair near the bed. She turned abruptly and came back over to him.

"Kai, no." She cupped his chin with a paw. "This is bad men doing bad things." She gazed at him imploringly, willing him to understand. He nodded slowly. "I will do everything I can to keep you safe, you understand?"

There were footsteps in the hallway. She dropped her paw and looked at the door warily. She had only been back in her room a couple hours at most. Had they already come to hurt her again?

"Can I ask you something?" He whispered, urgency flooding his voice as the footsteps neared her door.

She lowered her voice. "Anything."

"Who were you before this entire thing started?" The younger tiger watched her with curious eyes. Except for his dark eyes, he looked very much like she did when she was that age.

"That is a story for another time." She said, just as the door swung open.

Crane had never been more thankful that he could fly until he saw it, a faint light illuminating the dark mountain in the east. If he could see it, the band of soldiers he had been watching could definitely see it, too.

He felt himself being torn in two different directions. Should he head back and tell Mei Ling that he found something, or should he head towards the mountain and try to convince the animals there to move along?

He decisively cut slightly to the right and allowed the breeze to take him to the lights. Of course, he knew exactly where he was. The Jade Palace was hard to miss.

As he grew nearer to the top of the thousand steps, he could see a single light coming from the room above the training hall. "Whoever this is, they sure have found their way around." He mumbled to himself, dropping into the courtyard silently. He ruffled his feathers and made his way into the training hall.

He hesitated at the top of the stairs, not sure he wanted to know who was there. If it was a wolf, he was screwed.

"Screw it." He kicked open the door so hard that it flew off the hinges and broke into pieces that clattered to the ground. "Who are you?" His voice was harsh, and he instantly regretted it when he saw who it was.

The young fox had startled so bad that she sent her bowl flying. The floor around her was covered in shards of pottery and broth. She sat there shivering and her blue eyes were wide. The white fur along her spine had raised.

"You-you-you're-" She stuttered, but she couldn't get the words out. Something behind him caught her attention. He made to see what it was, but he felt a sharp crack across the back of his head.

"Master Crane!" He _knew_ that voice. "We do NOT terrify innocent foxes."

"Master Shifu!" Crane whipped around, only to be hit a second time. His hat fell to the ground, and he felt lightly irritated. He grabbed it and dusted it off with a grimace. "What kind of welcome was that?!" He exclaimed.

Shifu stood back, what could only be described as a smug grin plastered across his face. "You should apologize to the young girl."

Yù just sat there, looking dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry." He said genuinely, turning back to her. He bowed rather gracefully. "And your name is?"

"Yù." She stammered.

"Crane." He smiled at her, and watched her ease up a bit. "What are you doing here?" He looked back to his master. "What are _you_ doing here? Everyone thought you were dead."

"I came back to meet with Monkey and Viper. Have you heard from them?" Shifu looked at him eagerly.

"No," Crane grew somber, "but there's far more to the story than what I can tell you here." He thought a moment. "You need to get out of the valley. I was tracking a pack of wolves. If I found you, I'm sure they will soon."

"Where can we go?" Yù asked, getting to her feet.

"I will lead you to Dai Lee from the air. We can talk more there." He adjusted his hat and descended the stairs, leaving the red panda and fox alone.

"Come on." Said the old man. "I guess we'd better be getting out of here."

She couldn't help but agree.

"Master?" The Ox behind her had approached so quietly that it startled her. She raised her head and turned to him.

"Yes?"

"Some of our spies just returned from the Valley of Peace. Crane was there." He watched her eyes go wide, and her mouth hang open in surprise. "He seems to be headed for Dai Lee."

She thought for a moment. "How fast can this camp be packed up?"

"A matter of hours, ma'am." He replied stiffly.

"Good." She smiled. "Let's go join the party."

A/N: Muahahahahaha

-Boomie out


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Finally over my cold, nailed my job interview, and I'm feeling pretty alright. This calls for a chapter!

This is where things start getting interesting. Again, if you guys have any advice on my writing, don't be shy, let me know.

OH I rated this T because I tend to curse a lot in my head when I write, so I know there will be some curse words flying during this story. Just a warning.

OoOoOoO

Yù awoke very suddenly, as though she had been slapped across the face. Her breathing was ragged from having been startled. She sat up slowly, disoriented.

"Are you alright?" A soft voice spoke from the flap of the tent. A white leopard watched her with mild concern. That must have been what woke her up.

"'M fine." She mumbled. She reached up with a paw and smoothed the fur on her head down. "Where am I?" She frowned.

"Dai Lee. I left clothes next to your mat. As soon as you're done, come out and we'll talk." The leopard disappeared, and Yù was left alone.

Mei Ling was worried that she had scared the young fox in the process of waking her up, despite trying to be gentle. Crane must have noticed her tail flicking in agitation, because he jogged over from the training hall to walk beside her.

"Is everything alright? Is Yù awake?" He asked as they meandered.

"Yes, but I may have scared the girl when I woke her up." Mei Ling replied.

"Nah, don't worry about it. She's in a new place surrounded by people she should be afraid of." His gaze left her. "Speak of the devil!"

Yù had arrived, wearing a pretty blue vest and black pants that once belonged to Mei Ling. She didn't seem nearly as scared as she did when first woke up. In fact, she looked rather curious.

"What is this place?" She asked Crane as she neared them.

"This is Dai Lee," he gestured around them, "AKA the biggest rebel stronghold that China has." Yù couldn't help but giggle as he thrust his wings out dramatically.

"I don't remember coming here at all." She frowned.

"Well, that's because he tried to fly you guys here and you passed out." Mei ling bumped Crane with her elbow. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry." She said simply, eliciting a chuckle from the feline and avian.

"Well, unfortunately, this place doesn't have five star cuisine, but I can get you a bowl of rice." Mei Ling dipped her head. "Crane, why don't you take her to the command tent. I'll meet you all there." She turned and made her way down another path, while Crane placed his wing on the young fox's shoulders.

"Sorry about trying to fly you here, by the way." He laughed nervously. "So, Yù, I have to ask-have you seen a resistance camp before?"

"Not really." She shrugged. "I have heard of them before. I just didn't realize they were this big."

Aside from about twenty tents, most of the camp they were in was made up of wooden houses that seemed to stretch on for miles. She assumed that this was a town first. It made her wonder how long they had been able to defend this place from the wolves.

"Well, as I said, Dai Lee is the largest. The other camps all move around in order to throw the wolves off their scent. We have enough soldiers to defend this place, so we remain here. This place is entirely self-sufficient. We have fields, a river nearby, and many of the people here were trained at various kung fu schools." He explained.

"But what about the others?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting themselves together. "Why don't you just unite all of the camps?"

"We've been trying that for almost nine years. Dai Lee itself is a culmination of three camps put together."

"But?"

"But," He hesitated, "The wolves are very intelligent. Nine years ago, there were fifty camps that we knew of. Now, there are maybe ten left in all of China. Most of the animals were killed, some were thrown into labor camps. Even if we outnumber the wolves, they are cunning, ruthless, and incredibly strong. This rebellion can't be about brute force anymore. We have had to switch tactics a bit."

"How so?"

"You're about to find out." She had been so engrossed in the conversation that she didn't even realize they had come to a building. It was small, squatty, and old looking. He led her up the stairs and held the door open so she could enter.

"Woah." She murmured, impressed. A massive map sat on one wall, marking out the entirety of China and all its provinces. A small desk had been pushed to the opposite wall, and crowding it was a massive stack of scrolls. Around a large table in the center of the room, stood three animals. Master Shifu she recognized, and assuming the appearance of the other two, they were Jade Palace Masters.

"Ah, you're awake." Shifu spoke first, turning to her with his hands folded behind his back. "I would like to introduce you to Masters Viper and Monkey."

The snake bowed her head from where she perched on the table. Monkey crossed his arms and looked rather pleased. "Nice to have some new blood." He looked around him conspiratorially and lowered his voice. "I'm surrounded by old people."

"Hey!" Viper exclaimed, and Shifu's hand shot out and smacked the ape on the back of the head.

"Where is Mantis?" Crane asked, drowning out Monkey's protests.

"I sent him on an errand." Shifu replied. "He should be back in a few days."

"Where?" Viper frowned.

"To the Imperial City."

OoOoOoO

Tigress wasn't quite sure what she was doing in the throne room, but the gorilla guards had practically dragged her here so obviously it was important.

She kneeled facing the massive gold throne, paws crossed on her lap and head bowed slightly. Her ribs still throbbed, but she didn't dare move.

"Apologies." A cold voice echoed across the hall. She forced herself to remain relaxed, but her heart was pounding in her chest. "My meeting ran long." The white wolf, Bái láng, came to stand in front of her, Kai following him a few paces behind. She suddenly felt bad for the young tiger, having to watch whatever was about to happen. He bent down and forced her to look at him. "Do you know what happened this morning?" He watched her face for any signs of curiosity, but she remained as placid as ever. It irritated him to no end, but he kept his composure. "Some of my men went to the Valley of Peace to, you know, look around." _Where is he going with this?_ She thought. "When they got there, well, it seemed one of your comrades had decided to return home." She fought with every ounce of her being to keep her composure. "He didn't last the night." Monkey's staff clattered to the ground in front of her, broken in two pieces.

"You're lying." She hissed. Was he really that stupid, thinking she would believe that? He must not have realized she would see through his façade so easily, because his expression turned to one of mild surprise.

She didn't feel the slap for a few moments, not until her cheek starting stinging. He had back-handed her so hard she tasted blood in the back of her mouth.

"This little rebellion that your friends _think_ they are getting away with, it won't work." His tone was patronizing, and it made her blood boil. "Everything falls to God in the end, even you." He stood erect, trying to look regal. "When your friends find out about your execution, I'm sure they will feel differently about their cause."

"Wha-" Tigress was suddenly yanked off her feet by one of the guards. She fought and kicked as best she could, but the grip on her arms was harsh. With her bruised ribs, there wasn't much she could do.

"Don't hurt her!" Kai went flying after the wolf and yanked him around. "Please! I need her."

" _Quiet."_ Kai doubled over as Bái láng socked him in the gut. "Ungrateful child. She _will_ be put to death, and you will be Emperor." The wolf pulled roughly on one of the tiger's ears. "You should be _thankful._ " He knocked him back so hard that the tiger landed several paces away on his side.

He staggered back to his feet just as they were hauling Tigress out of the throne room.

"Kai-" She tried calling, but a gorilla whacked her on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious.

"MOTHER!"

A/N: hehehe. Boomie out


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So I just realized something. I got Kai's name from a friend I had in middle school. The fact that he happens to have the same name as the villain from the third movie has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the plot of this story. It just happened to be a very strange coincidence.

Anyway, enjoy.

OoOoOoO

"Noodles?" Shifu frowned and stroked his chin.

"I know it sounds strange, but his handwriting was unmistakable." Viper replied from the table. Yù watched their conversation with mild interest as she ate her rice.

"Was there a trail or a path?" Shifu asked, but the two of them shook their heads.

"I separated off from the group with a hundred or so men. We searched for months, but there was no sign of him." Monkey folded his hands in front of him. "When we went to meet back up with Viper, we heard that her camp had been attacked."

"Me and about fifty people were able to get out. We wandered for quite a while before we heard from Crane." Viper looked to her avian friend.

"When she mentioned that she had come across Po's signature, I looked up maps of major travel paths. That one where they found the signal is a major roadway for traders." Yù frowned at what Crane said and stood from her place on the floor. They were too engrossed in their conversation to notice.

"That's what I have been trying to do." Said Viper. "We have had postings all along that road. Nothing suspicious."

Yù had gotten to the table, and she frowned at the map they were looking at. "That's because you were looking for the wrong thing."

The room went silent. "What do you mean?" Shifu asked.

"My dad was a trader. We traveled this route a lot whenever we came through China. It leads all the way to the sea." Yù pointed to the path she was talking about. "But I remember there were a few times that we took alternate routes. There is a small cut through here-" she pointed to an area three quarters of the way down the map, "that is barely visible. You really only know that it's there if you have been there before."

"Where does that path lead?" Viper asked quietly.

Yù hesitated. "Several minor villages. It's also a back way to Shang Zhi." She hadn't told them about her, or about what her father did. She hoped she wouldn't have to. However, considering the look Shifu was giving her, she might just have to come clean.

"That's near the Imperial city, right?" Crane asked.

"Yeah. It serves as the supplier for the palace's needs. Everything is taken by cart to the internal gates of the city. Security is tight." Mei Ling replied, speaking for the first time. "Do you think Po is in there?"

"No, hopefully not." Shifu shook his head. "He may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he is smart enough to not get caught."

"What about Tigress?" Monkey's question seemed to make the room go cold. Yù could see a darkness in Shifu that she hadn't noticed.

"He isn't wrong." Viper spoke up. "If Tigress was injured like you said she was, she could have been taken there. Can we have Mantis check into it while he's there?"

"Yes." Shifu's answer was quiet.

"Crane, go see if you can catch up to him. He left not too long ago." Mei Ling urged the avian. He nodded and ducked out the door, vanishing into the afternoon clouds.

"I sent him there hoping he could find out what they are up to. The wolves have been quiet for too long." Shifu spoke into the quiet of the room.

"I think I may know." Yù blurted out.

"Yù, you don't have to if-"

"If it helps you guys, then I'll tell you." Yù interrupted. "My mom died when I was a kit. I already told you that my father was a trader. He used to bring vegetables from the west to the ports. I would ride with him." She took a breath. "One day, a few years ago, we were traveling the path like normal when he suddenly decided to veer off course. He took one of the side paths towards Shang Zhi. We stopped there, he spoke with a few guards, and then something was loaded into the back of the cart."

"What was it?" Viper peered up at her.

"I was told not to ask. Six months later, our cart was pulled over by Imperial troops. I found out then that my father had been smuggling weapons-spears, swords." She sighed. "He was killed instantly. I was only twelve at the time. I managed to get away from them, and I started running. I've been on my own ever since."

"They were smuggling weapons out of the Imperial city?" Shifu frowned. "Do you know where they were going?"

"No." Yù replied. "We would meet whoever we were giving the cargo to on the mountain pass. They wouldn't tell us where they were taking it."

"If there are rebels in the Imperial city, things may not be as hopeless as they seem." Shifu stroked his beard. "We will wait, until the boys get back at least. We will need to come up with a plan."

"There's one more thing." Yù spoke up before the old man could leave the room. "I couldn't tell you exactly what they are planning, but I know it has something to do with the Emperor's son."

"His son?" Shifu turned back towards her with a frown." The Emperor doesn't have a son."

OoOoOoO

Tigress hadn't felt this helpless since Gongmen, when she was bound in chains. The cell, although a decent size, felt like it was closing in on her. A single window shone its light on the thin mattress and waste bucket. She had already tried to see if she could get out that way, but there was no way she would fit through it.

"Dinner." A bowl was shoved through a small cutout in her cell door by a guard. She wondered briefly if the smell of noodle soup was real, or if she was going crazy. She picked up the small bowl and sniffed it.

"Noodles?" She took a sip and frowned. The taste was so similar to Po's that she could have sworn he made it. She tried to make it last as long as she could, but quicker than she wanted she found herself staring at the bottom of the bowl.

She set it aside and leaned her head back against the wall, relishing in the warmth it had brought. The guards had told her she would only be spending one night in the cell. As much as she dreaded what morning would bring, she only hoped Kai was okay.

OoOoOoO

Although Mantis occasionally hated his size, this was the one time he was grateful for it. It meant that he could climb up the side of the palace walls and drop into the courtyard without being seen.

"Master Kai!" Mantis jumped into the bushes just before a guard rounded the corner. The wolf cocked his head, sniffing the air, and then took off again. Making a split-second decision, Mantis decided to follow him.

He kept to the bushes, following behind the canine as best he could, given his size.

"Master Kai, there you are." Mantis peered out of the bushes just a bit, just enough to watch the wolf approach a tiger. Mantis gasped a bit, not having seen a tiger besides Tigress. The two were very similar from behind, but when the feline turned, he could see that Kai was very young, and had a different build than his friend. Still, the kid could very well be his best hope at finding her. "Master Bái láng wishes to speak with you."

"I'll be in in a moment." The tiger dismissed the wolf. The guard vanished, and Mantis took that as his chance. He crept around the bushes, thankful that his green color blended in well. The sun was beginning to set.

The tiger sat on a bench, paws folded on his lap. His tail flicked irritably behind him. He seemed to be deep in thought. Mantis could see from his vantage point that the kid had a massive black eye.

"Pssssst." The feline's head jerked up. "Over here." The feline whipped around so quick that he slid off the bench and landed on the grass. Mantis took that to his advantage and hopped up on the bench, making him almost eye-level with the tiger.

"Who-who are you?" The kid looked terrified.

"Where is Tigress?" Mantis hissed. The feline frowned. "The other tiger. Is she here?"

"Yeah…..but who are you?" He stammered back.

"Master Kai!" There was a call from the other side. Mantis tensed, as did the tiger.

"Please, I'm a friend." Mantis pleaded.

"Are you part of the Furious Five?" asked the young boy. Mantis nodded. "She's talked about you." He stood slowly, rubbing his backside with a wince. The footsteps grew louder.

"Kid, I need to know she's alive."

The tiger hesitated. "She's in the dungeons. They plan to execute her in the morning."

Mantis' heart dropped. "Why?"

"It's a long story. Go!" Kai hissed. The guards rounded the corner and Mantis barely managed to make it back into the bushes in time.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey babes. Shout out to my new followers. Love you guys!

Oh, a particular movie that I was watching inspired this scene. If you can guess what it is, you'll get a cookie.

OoOoOoO

"Tigress."

At first, the feline wasn't sure if she actually heard her name being called. She had been laying on that thin cot, arms crossed, trying and failing to fall asleep.

"Tigress."

That time she was certain that she heard it. She sat upright and frowned. "Hello?"

"Down here!" The little cutout they used to push through her bowl was just large enough for Mantis to crawl underneath.

"Mantis?!" She exclaimed, eyes wide. She slid off the bed and landed on her knees to be closer to his eye level. "You're alive." It was a sigh of relief. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to rescue the damsel in distress!" He jumped up on her shoulder and put his feelers in her neck, his version of a hug. "What did you do to get an execution date?"

"You talked to Kai?" He jumped down from her shoulder and nodded. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know. He looked like he took a beating but I think he's okay. What's he to you anyway?" Mantis was surveying the room, looking for anything that could get her out.

"That's a long story." She rubbed the back of her head anxiously. "There isn't a way out. I tried." She shrugged.

He looked back at her. "Okay, so we'll come up with another plan."

"How did you even get past the guards?" She asked. "I mean you're small, but not unnoticeable."

"Let's just say several of them will be found unconscious in a random closet first thing in the morning." Mantis replied nonchalantly.

"Are you _trying it_ to get us killed _?"_ She hissed.

"No." He rolled his eyes. "Hopefully by the time they find them, we'll be long gone." He peered back at the door. "Be right back."

She watched him slide back through the opening. After a moment, the cell door creaked and opened slowly.

"C'mon!" He encouraged, but she froze in the doorway. "What is it?"

"I can't leave Kai."

Mantis frowned at her. What was that expression on her face? It seemed almost terrified, or worried-maybe even protective. He had never seen it on her before. He knew that that she wouldn't come with him unless the kid came, too.

"Alright. Lead the way."

OoOoOoO

"Master Kai-" The young tiger lifted his head. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, preparing to sleep. "You will be summoned by Master Bái láng first thing in the morning."

"Thank you." He nodded and the guard left the room. Kai was suddenly left in silence, that is, until several thumps were heard outside his door.

He stood suddenly, bracing himself for a fight. Instead, Tigress came through the door and shut it behind her.

"Mother." He sighed with relief and hugged her tightly. "Are you alright? How did you get out?"'

"Long story. Kai, I'm leaving." She gave him a moment for it to sink in. "It is your choice if you come with me."

"Yes." There was no hesitation in his voice. "Let me come with you."

She nodded determinedly and out the door they went.

They met Mantis in the hallway, and so began the sprint through the castle halls.

"Mantis, how did you come in?" Tigress cried as they ran.

"The gardens. Once I got inside, I just beat up anyone I saw. I had the size advantage." Mantis looked at the two of them. "But you two don't, so we'll have to be careful."

"I have an idea!" Kai piped up from the back. He was keeping pace with them surprisingly well. "You said you took out guards, right? Show me where they are."

Mantis hesitated but then made a right turn. He led them down a few hallways until they came to a small room. He was right when he said he took out every guard he came across. There were at least twenty unconscious wolves in there. Once they found the room, Kai urged them inside and shut the door.

"Take a uniform." He gestured to the wolves. "You can wear them. I'll say I'm going for a walk and you can escort me." He looked at Tigress.

'Where did you find this kid?" Mantis asked, slightly impressed.

"I taught him well, huh?" She replied with a small chuckle. Tigress than began helping Mantis remove a uniform that seemed to be close to her size. She put it on over her vest and pants, and grabbed one of the helmets.

"Come on." Kai gestured when she was finished. Mantis hoped on her shoulder and perched himself on the back of her neck for a free ride. Kai began walking steadily towards the gardens, Tigress keeping pace easily.

The two guards at the doors to the gardens gave them odd looks, but he fixed them with an authoritative glare that made them look away. Once out into the gardens, he led them down a path towards the back corner.

"There's a path that the village people use to bring supplies up to the palace. If you can hold on a bit longer, we can escape from there." Kai whispered.

Tigress just nodded, wincing. Her tail was in a very uncomfortable position against her spine. He led them around the back of the gardens, but stopped suddenly.

"Shit." He murmured. The three of them just managed to get into the bushes as a group of wolves passed by. He could see through the leaves that there were two guards stationed at the gate out of the gardens. "Hey bug guy-"

"It's Mantis."

"Sorry. Mantis, can you take those two out?" The tiger gestured towards the two guys and the bug disappeared. Suddenly, both guards felt to the ground, unconscious. The two tigers left their safety and made their way to where he was standing.

"They key wasn't on them. We'll have to jump the gate." Mantis climbed up and over first. Next was Tigress, who helped Kai over. Once they were on the other side, they moved into the woods.

OoOoOoO

"How far are we?" Tigress removed the helmet, shaking her head to get the sweat from her fur.

"Not far. Took me half a day to get there." The bug replied.

They had run for hours, until Kai finally asked if they could take a break. Tigress was secretly relieved. That uniform had been absolutely awful to run in. Add that to a lack of exercise for ten years and serious injuries, and she was hurting quite a bit. She let the helmet drop with a wince and began on the uniform. The breeze on her fur felt amazing.

"It's almost dawn." Mantis stood. "I'm sorry, but we need to keep going. They will notice he's gone here soon." He gestured to Kai.

"He's got a point. Are you alright?" He asked. He held out a hand to help her stand.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said once she was up. "Where are we going?"

"Camp." Mantis replied with a chuckle.

OoOoOoO

When Crane came to check on him early that morning, Shifu lied and said he slept. In reality, he spent all night tossing and turning until he gave up and tried to meditate. The bird must have known he was lying, but he didn't press it.

In reality, Shifu hadn't slept in ten years, not since that day in the valley. If he was being honest with himself, he could have done more. He cursed himself for his age, and his old bones. Even his inner peace, which had been a staple of his life, seemed to be missing. The puzzle pieces in his chest felt like they had been scrambled.

"Master Shifu!" A goose servant of the Dai Lee Academy came running into the training hall. "You are needed in the infirmary immediately!"

"The infirmary?" Shifu frowned. A part of his chest sunk, hoping that no one had been hurt. He raced out of the building and down the path towards the tent that housed the hospital. No one was there. In fact, it seemed to be totally silent. That is, until an old raccoon peered around the corner down the way.

"Master, in here." Shifu moved down the aisles of beds down towards the end, where a screen had been set up.

His jaw dropped when he turned the corner.

"Tigress?"


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey guys! I should have pointed this out earlier, but this is after KFP 3.

So I'm placing this story fifteen years after the events of the first movie. That means in five years, 1,2, and 3 all happened.

I promise, this does matter, because it pertains to this chapter. ANYWAYS enjoy!

OoOoOoO

 _Fifteen years ago (_ A/N: See, I told you)

 _Tigress should have known that there was no such thing as peace in the Jade Palace anymore, but that didn't stop her from trying to read scrolls in the empty kitchen._

 _She was content just sitting there in silence, skimming Oogway's handwriting. That is, until a particular panda walked in._

 _"Hey, Tigress." He muttered, avoiding eye contact. Despite calling him Master after his fight with Tai Lung, there were still times when she found herself getting irritated at every little thing he said. Sure, she respected him, but she was still unsure if the Dragon Warrior title really belonged to him._

 _"Hello."_

 _"I hope you don't mind. I still have to clean up from dinner." He gestured to the pot that housed leftover soup and the several dirty bowls that lingered in the sink._

 _"You're fine." She replied. Her eyes remained attached to the scroll, but the words she read didn't stick with her at all. It had been a struggle to focus all night. She sat back a bit with a frustrated sigh, one he thought was his fault._

 _"Sorry. I can leave." He went to dry his paws, but she stopped him.  
"It's alright. I haven't been able to focus all night." She shrugged. "Do you need help?"_

 _"Nah." He shook his head and grabbed a towel. "I'm done. I was going to make tea, though, for Shifu. You want some?"_

 _"Sure." She replied with a small smile. He turned and grinned at her, excited by the prospect. He was still such a fanboy._

 _Once the tea had finished, he disappeared for a moment to take a cup to Shifu. Upon his return, he found a cup sitting on the counter waiting for him. Tigress had returned to her seat, and was trying again to read, but no such luck._

 _"Can I ask you something?" He sat carefully in the seat across from her. She raised her head and looked at him. "What's the Imperial City like?"_

 _She frowned, wondering where the conversation was going. He was watching her, almost giddy. His green eyes were locked on her, waiting for her reply._

 _"Po, I haven't been since I was a child." She replied. She tried to be kind, but honestly she didn't remember. She was only fifteen and she was only there for one night. "Why do you ask?"_

 _"Master Shifu thinks I'm ready to meet the Emperor." Her cup froze in mid-air, paws clasped around it tightly. "But I'm not really sure."_

 _"I agree." She took a sip, swallowing her pride along with the tea. He just gaped at her._

 _"What?"_

 _"I think you're ready-barring any bean bun contests." She was referring, of course, to their bean bun battle during lunch- a battle that ended with smashed bean buns all over the wall. "As long as you keep your head on straight and don't get too excited, you'll be fine."_

 _He sat up straighter, still looking a bit dumbfounded. Of course, she was slightly jealous that he got to go. She had been when she was first made a Master, and that was a while ago. However, she trusted Shifu implicitly. If he believed Po was ready, than the panda was ready._

 _"Let me ask you something-" She cocked her head, watching him curiously. "If you hadn't become the Dragon Warrior, what would you have done? With your life, I mean."_

 _"Well-" He thought for a moment. "-I would open a noodle shop in Shang Zi."_

 _"Why?" She replied, amused._

 _"Because that's where they get have all the parties for the Emperor. Can you imagine? I've heard the festivals are extravagant!" he was suddenly excited, leaning forward._

 _"You would have become a noodle seller to watch festivals?" Tigress asked, drinking the last of her tea._

 _"Yeah, why not?" He shrugged. " Sounds like fun."_

 _OoOoOoO_

Tigress bolted up so fast that the room started spinning. She was hot and sweaty, and her entire body ached.

"Tigress?" Had that been what woke her up? That voice? Her eyes whipped around until she found him, standing by the end of her bed with wide eyes.

"Shifu?" She sounded breathless, like she had just run a marathon. She was laying on a thick mat on the ground of a tent, and covered by a blanket. Someone had changed her clothing for her. She was wearing a loose-fitting shirt and black pants.

Shifu looked like he had seen a ghost. He walked over slowly until he was by her side, and then he knelt down.

"Where am-" but she was cut off when he did something incredibly unexpected.

He hugged her. Tightly.

It was slightly awkward, seeing as though he had never hugged her before, not even as a child. She placed one paw on his back and hugged him back the only way she knew how.

"I thought you were dead." He pulled away with a scowl. "What happened?"

"Four broken ribs, at least." The raccoon suddenly appeared seemingly from nowhere. "That's what happened. Plus some minor injuries. You've also got evidence of mild malnutrition and your muscles will be weak for a few months, at least until you recover." The old raccoon shook her head. "I don't know what happened, but you were cooped up for a while, weren't you?"

Tigress nodded haltingly.

"Tigress, what happened?" Shifu asked, pleading.

"That's a long story."

"One that she can wait to tell." The raccoon looked at Shifu pointedly. "She needs her rest. Go on."

Shifu looked at her with a mix of surprise and irritation, but he still left the tent.

OoOoOoO

"Master Shifu!" Viper was slithering towards him faster than he had seen her move in a long time. "I heard. Is she okay?"

He put a hand up to halt her worrying. "She is resting, but she'll be fine."

"Good." She sighed in relief. "I was worried." When she looked up, though, she saw a grave look on his face. "What's the matter?"

"Tigress," he shook his head, unsure of how to say what he wanted to. "Viper, she was beaten." The snake's eyes went wide. "When she wakes up, I want you there. She will be more willing to speak with you than I."

"Master I-"

"Please." His gaze was pleading. She nodded slowly and he left her there to worry on her own.

OoOoOoO

The ornate red columns and jaded walls seemed too quiet now.

Even the windows, which once showered the hall with golden light, now only illuminated the dust.

His hand rushed over the gold dragons inlaid in the columns, claws scraping along the wood. It felt so empty in there, like the life had been sucked out of the place. He sighed and moved towards the moon pool, happy that it was still clear. Above his head, the dragon statue gaped at him with empty jaws.

Empty?

He frowned. Something had been there. "What happened?" He asked the quiet, but it just echoed back.

Months of trying to come to this place, but he wished he had spared himself the sadness.

The Dragon Warrior had returned home, but it seemed he was alone.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Shout out to my followers! I've never had that many before! You guys are awesome! This chapter will be long, as a majority of it is flashbacks. I may have to divide it, we'll just see.

OoOoOoO

 _At first, Tigress thought she was dreaming._

 _The bright light permeating her eyelids couldn't be real, could it? The events of the last few days were rushing back to her like a flood, and that made her wonder all the more why she wasn't in a prison._

 _But when she opened her eyes, and say the big window illuminating the tan walls, she wondered what exactly happened. The bed was too soft, the room too large. Where was she?_

 _"You're awake." A soft voice spoke from across the room. A young wolf stood from her chair and came over to pour a glass of water for the tiger. "I was wondering if you would wake up."_

 _"Where am I?" Tigress whispered, her voice hoarse and dry. She tried to move, but found that her wrists and ankles were bound._

 _"The Imperial City." Tigress watched the young she-wolf with apprehension, not sure if she was being serious. She drank eagerly when the cup was brought to her muzzle._

 _"Why?" She asked. The wolf sighed and sat back._

 _"I'm afraid I cannot tell you just yet." Replied the wolf. "Sleep some more. I'll wake you when it's time."_

 _"Wait." Tigress stopped her before she got to the door. "What's your name?"_

 _"Mei." The wolf replied, and then she left Tigress alone._

 _Hours later, when the sun had dipped below the horizon, Tigress woke again. This time, Mei wasn't there. The ropes binding Tigress to the bed were gone. A bowl of soup was left for her on the bedside table._

 _A small note instructing her to get dressed was left beside the bowl._

 _She took the soup and finished it eagerly. The smell and taste both resembled Po's so much that it made her homesick. Once she was finished, she put it back on the table._

 _Tigress then stood slowly, not sure how well her feet would support her weight. Surprisingly, her legs didn't wobble in the slightest. She was able to walk over to the dresser with no problems and even dress herself without falling over._

 _In a silver shirt and black pants, she felt much more comfortable. Even the sprawling bruises across her abdomen didn't look as bad._

 _There was a knock at the door, and she hesitated before opening it. Mei stood there, wearing similar, if not identical, clothing._

 _"Come on." She gestured for the tiger to follow, and the two made their way down the hall._

 _"Mei." Tigress kept her voice low, noticing at least ten wolves in the hall with them alone. "What do they want with me?"_

 _"I cannot officially tell you." Mei replied, but her face looked cautious and sad. "But whatever you do, accept. The more you fight back, the greater the punishment."_

 _"Punishment?"_

 _"They'll beat you, Tigress." Mei replied with a wince. "They do not believe women of any kind should speak out. If they didn't need you, you would have already been dead for fighting back."_

 _"Do they know who I am?" Tigress didn't mean for it to sound demanding. "I mean my title."_

 _"Most likely, even if they know, they don't believe it." Mei stopped outside a massive door and put her paws reassuringly on Tigress' biceps. "Hide who you are. Don't try and make them think you are powerful, because here you are outnumbered. Even if you are a member of the rebellion, do not let them get that out of you. That is the only way you survive." She emphasized, and dropped her arms. "Go. I'll be here when you are finished."_

 _"Thank you." Tigress grabbed Mei's arm a she walked past. The wolf nodded and turned a corner._

 _"Tigress!"_

 _When she entered, she found she was in the massive throne room that she remembered from her childhood. A magnificently golden throne sat underneath tall ivory columns on the opposite side of the room . A white wolf stood in the center of the room, but he moved to her when she entered and took her paw in his._

 _"It is an honor to finally meet you. You know, when the guards told me how much you fought back, I was afraid we'd never have this meeting." He seemed too jovial and happy for a villain. "I am Master Bái láng."_

 _She nodded but said nothing. He frowned._

 _"Don't just stand there." He hissed. "Bow."_

 _At first, she was convinced that he wasn't serious. That is, until he backhanded her clear across the face. His slap was so hard that she stumbled and fell to her knees._

 _"That's better." He immediately went back to being cold and calculating. He folded his hands behind his back. "Now, I bet you are wondering why you were brought here." He gestured with his head to a guard and the wolf left the room for a moment. "I have a task for you."_

 _She remained silent and on the ground, her cheek still stinging from his hand._

 _"You are going to remain here, to live here. I will provide food, water, clothing. You will have free run of this castle to do as you wish." He grinned maliciously, the light of the room reflecting off of his teeth. "In return, you will look after him."_

 _He gestured grandly to his guard, who had returned and brought with him a young tiger. Tigress' eyes went wide. She had never seen another tiger. As far as she knew, she was the only one left. The small tiger they had brought in was easily only four or five years old. He was a small thing that squirmed as the guard practically dragged him over to where Bái láng stood_. _For a moment, the young tiger stared at her, dumbfounded, until his ears perked up._

 _"Momma!" He cried. The guard wrestled to keep him away from the older tiger._

 _"See," Bái láng_ _grinned, "he likes you already."_

 _"Why am I doing this?" Her question was soft. Somehow though, it still angered him. He grabbed an ear, still a sensitive part of her body, and yanked really hard._

 _"You should be GRATEFUL." He hissed. He looked away from her and towards one of the guards stationed at the door behind her. "Take this whore away."_

 _The two of them surged forward and grabbed both of her arms with iron grips to pull her away. Although she wanted to fight back, she couldn't help but look at that little tiger, beginning to cry for his mother._

 _"Stop. I'll do it." They released her roughly, letting her fall harshly to the ground. Bái láng smiled ruefully._

 _"Fantastic." He stepped forward. "As you can probably tell, any action that you commit against me will hurt you. If you run, I kill the boy. We have a deal?"_

 _She nodded shakily and he laughed, a sound that made her blood go cold._

 _"Welcome to the Imperial City, Tigress. I do hope you enjoy your stay."_

 _OoOoOoO_

"I wondered." Viper's soft voice broke her reverie. She didn't realize she had fallen silent during her story. "When you first got here, he wouldn't leave your side. Even insisted on sleeping in the corner." The snake gestured with her head towards the young tiger, who remained asleep in a cot in the corner.

"His mother died when he was a young child. I don't know what happened to his father. When the Emperor went to South China to visit the ports, he found Kai in an abandoned village and took him in as his own." Tigress glanced fondly at him, clutching her tea. "That was only a few months before everything went to hell."

Viper looked back at her friend, who was sitting up and seemingly feeling better. She had barely been able to keep much more than broth down, though. She was looking pretty thin.

"I guess it makes sense, Bái láng taking control of him." Tigress frowned at her friend, but the snake kept going. "If Kai comes to the throne, he will bring the last of China under complete control. Plus, it prevented you from running away. Talk about killing two birds with one stone."

At first, Viper was afraid she had offended the tiger, but surprisingly, Tigress cracked a small smile. "More like failing to kill two birds with one stone. I don't think he ever expected me to run away with the thing that was supposed to keep me from running away."

"You did the right thing. He's a fine young man." Viper replied kindly.

"This may sound strange," Tigress changed the subject, "But can I go for a walk?" The snake frowned, looking apprehensive. "I haven't had fresh air in a while."

"Sure." Viper nodded with a smile. Getting to her feet was surprisingly easier than she thought. Although it hurt like crazy, it wasn't any kind of pain she hadn't dealt with before. She could ignore the throbbing of her ribs for a breath of fresh air.

Of course, a few people stared as they walked, but Tigress focused more so on her paws hitting the grass and the smell of autumn tickling the air. Just walking a few feet made her feel infinitely better.

"Do you remember that time a while ago, when we blew off training and went to the water fall." Viper mentioned, slithering up so she was sitting on the tiger's shoulder. "Po got in so much trouble for letting us go, but it was so worth it."

She was happy to see Tigress smiling. She hated to jeopardize that, but she needed to know. "Do you know where he is?" Tigress stopped walking, and the smile fell from her face.

"No." Her voice was quiet. But then, something donned on her. Her eyes went wide. "But I may know someone who does. Where is Mantis?"

"Over in the training hall, why?" Tigress began walking as fast as she could, given her condition. She barely made it up the steps, but didn't stop until she had opened the doors.

"Tigress! You're up! OW?!" Monkey cheered when she entered, but was whacked on the back of the head by Mantis, whom he was sparring with.

"Hey Mantis, you think you could do me a favor?" She asked, turning towards the insect.

"Anything."

"Tigress. You're awake. What's going on?" Master Shifu entered through a side door, carrying a cup of tea.

"Mantis, when you came to the palace to see me, did you pass through Shang Zhi?" Tigress ignored his welcome and focused on the bug.

"No, I didn't need to. I was really only coming for you." Mantis shrugged.

"Tigress, what's wrong?" Shifu insisted.

"Viper mentioned that she found a carving of the character for noodles on a tree. I don't think that was saying Po was in the Imperial City. I think it was talking about Mr. Ping." Tigress replied.

"Why do you think that?" Viper replied.

"Because the first night that I got there and the night I was broken out, I was given a bowl of noodle soup. The only thing I've tasted even remotely as good was Po's." She saw them trade uneasy looks. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but something in my gut tells me that we have to look into it."

Viper watched her friend with narrowed eyes for a moment before she nodded. "I agree."

The ultimate decision was up to Shifu, who pondered it while stroking his beard. "It seems like it's the only lead we have right now. Go." He nodded to the bug, who took off.

"I hope he finds something useful." Monkey replied, still unsure.

Tigress didn't want to admit it, but she was worried as well. "I hope so, too."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: As you can probably tell, I usually end up posting on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, plus the occasional Saturday. This is mostly thanks to my work schedule, but it may change. That being said, look for new chapters on those days.

ALSO I totally stole the idea for part of this chapter from an old kids show. If you recognize what it's from, I give you major props.

Fluff ahead! Enjoy J

OoOoOoO

After searching for almost six hours, Mantis found absolutely nothing.

No, he did find something small.

An older sheep told him in strict confidence that the person he was looking for had left Shang Zi. But he wasn't quite sure how trustworthy she could be, especially because he never even told her who he was looking for. She just peered at him through a vegetable stand and told him that the target was gone.

Now, he was sitting on the roof, watching every animal that walked the streets for a sign of something, anything. Most of them were guards, dressed in thick body armor despite the heat. He was growing frustrated, seeing as how this was their only lead.

He was about to give up and return to the camp when he picked up the beginnings of a commotion a few blocks away. He began jumping from room to room until he found the source of the noise-a small, dirty looking ferret holding tightly onto a crate.

"Give it over, you brat!" There were three wolves surrounding him in the small alley way. A few animals jerked their heads towards the noise, but they ignored it in fear of getting involved.

"No!" The small rodent gripped the box. He was only a child-and super thin. His grey and black fur was covered in dust from the streets, and tattered pants were the only thing he wore.

"Give it over! We know you stole it!" The biggest of the wolves was baring his teeth, not a very good sign. Mantis didn't want the kid to get hurt, but he couldn't get involved.

"I didn't steal anything!" the ferret begged, clutching the box tighter. "Please!"

"I will _slit_ your throat if-" But the giant wolf suddenly fell to the ground, unconscious.

"I _hope_ you weren't trying to hurt a child." Mantis was sitting on top of the unconscious wolf, glaring at the other two that remained. "Last I checked, that's illegal in China."

"China?" The second largest wolf scoffed. "China fell ten years ago. Where have you been, old man?"

The bug only scowled. With barely even a thought, he left up and delivered a kick to the gut that left the second wolf out of breath.

"I would hope you treat your elders with more respect than that." Mantis hissed. He turned to look at the final canine. "Do you respect your elders?"

"Y-y-yes." He stammered, jerking back a few steps. He looked like he was about to run, but Mantis delivered a kick to the head that effectively knocked him out.

"Are you o-" He turned to the ferret, but the rodent was gone. He must have slipped away during the action. "Oh well." Mantis sighed and was about to return to the roof, when something-or rather someone-caught his gaze.

An old goat stood at the end of the alley, watching him through narrowed eyes, as if sizing him up. The goat's face looked so familiar, but Mantis couldn't place it.

That is, until she murmured. "I wondered how long it would take."

"Soothsayer?" Mantis made his way over to her slowly, as if not sure it was really her. He only acknowledged that it was her when he noticed her colorful dress and wooden cane. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you." She replied. "Come with me."

They turned and she led him out of the alley.

OoOoOoO

It wasn't surprising that she would live outside of the city.

What was surprising was how far out she lived. They must have walked for an hour before they finally reached a small tent that served as her home. By the time she even began talking, night had fallen. She had built them a fire, and was warming soup over it.

"How did you get here? To Shang Zi I mean." Mantis asked as she prodded the fire.

"To answer that, I need to tell you a story." She sighed. "I am sure you came here because of the clues."

It wasn't even a question. She said it so nonchalantly that it made him wonder how involved she was.

"You mean the carvings? And the soup that Tigress got?" He nodded. "Yeah."

"I cannot say that I was the one who left those markers. But I am sure you know that." She removed the pot and began ladling out soup for the two of them.

"Where is Po?" She froze what she was doing.

"He is gone." She murmured quietly, resuming her task. "He waited around for quite a while, hoping someone would get on his trail." She handed him a bowl. "But there was nothing he could do for Tigress."

"He knew she was here?" Mantis sipped on the soup, relishing in the warmth. "Why didn't he try to find us? We could have gotten her out sooner."

"I do not know." She replied. "He only found out she was here a year or so ago. He has been chased across China by those mongrels since the valley was attacked. Li Shan's village-" She broke off. Mantis' heart froze in his chest. He could feel it sinking.

"No." His voice was barely above a murmur. "Please tell me they survived."

"Some did. Li Shan, and a few others, did not."

Mantis sighed, feeling slightly relieved that not everyone was gone. Still, though, he could only imagine how Po must be feeling. "Do you know where he went?" He insisted.

"I assume the Valley." She replied. "He said he wanted to go home." She was about to say something else, but a howl sent them both to silence. Mantis jerked up from his spot, letting the bowl drop.

"We need to go." He urged her to get up.

"Where do you think you're going, little bug?" The Massive wolf he had taken down earlier came sauntering out of the woods. The flames were reflected in his teeth and his eyes, making him frightening. When multiple other wolves filed out around them, Mantis felt a deep sense of dread.

They weren't getting out of this one without a fight.

"Well, well." Snarled the canine. "If it isn't a little _pest._ "

"Considering we are outnumbered, I think you guys are the infestation." Mantis retorted. It earned him a snarl and an internal sense of superiority.

"Take them." He gestured to his wolf buddies, who looked to be itching for a fight. There were at least ten of them, all big and snarling. Mantis had no doubt he could take most of them, but he was worried about Soothsayer.

"Don't worry about me." She gave him a mischievous smile. "This old goat can handle herself."

He nodded, still not feeling reassured. But, he had no time to dwell on that. He sprang into action, landing a gut kick to the first of the wolves. He used the momentum to fly up and nail a second in the throat. Both wolves fell to the ground, and Mantis landed perfectly. He glanced back for a brief second to the old goat, who was whacking a wolf harshly with her cane. With a chuckle, he jumped up again, this time landing a kick to a wolf's knee joint. There was a satisfactory crack. Mantis used the distraction to flit up the wolf's side and land a kick to the back of the head, sending the wolf's face into the dirt.

He went to look around for another target, but he noticed that seven others lay sprawled near the fire. There was no way the goat took them all out, not by herself. He turned around slowly and his breath caught.

"Po?"

OoOoOoO

As long as she had been away from the Valley, Tigress still managed to wake up before dawn every morning.

That morning was no exception. Surprisingly, she made it through the whole night without nightmares. That was something she had not had the luxury of. Maybe it was because she felt safe? Maybe it was because she was exhausted? She wasn't sure.

What she did know was that the sun was barely up and she felt warm under the covers. In fact, if it hadn't been for the light breathing that she heard, she probably would have fallen back to sleep. Instead, she sat up slowly. When she saw who was sitting there, her breath caught.

"I am so sorry." Po was the first one to break the silence. He sat there in tattered shorts, looking rugged and exhausted. In fact, she was certain that he was probably worse off than she was. He kept his head bowed, and she could hear a tear fall on the edge of the bed. "I should have come for you, and I didn't, and I am so sorry."

She got out from under her covers and scooted down the cot until she was right in front of him. She had to make sure that he was real.

She placed a paw on his shoulder tentatively, and felt the coarse fur that was there. It was him, in the flesh. She didn't hesitate.

Po was rather taken aback when she wrapped him in a hug. He expected her to be angry, to shout at him. He abandoned her, so why shouldn't she? But when she hugged him, there was no way he could push her away.

"You're alive." She murmured into his shoulder. "I thought I killed you."

"I mean it hurt like a bitch, but nothing I can't handle." He replied, not letting her go. His chuckle was reassuring, and she found herself laughing as well.

In fact, it was the first time in a long time that she truly felt safe.

OoOoOoO

A/N: D'AWWWWWWWW I had fun with that. Boomie out


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: So I want to apologize. Out of habit, I tend to write things like they are human actions. So if I ever say "hand" instead of paw or something like that, forgive me. It's not intentional. Same goes with broken bone and injuries. I assume you understand what I mean.

Oh, and for the sake of this story, let's pretend everything is historically accurate. This is fantasy, after all.

Enjoy J

OoOoOoO

Bái láng was not a patient wolf.

That's why he paced rapidly back and forth, robes whipping behind him as he moved. His tail swished back and forth angrily, irritated at having to wait.

Finally, a gorilla came through the door.

"Is it finished?" Bái láng demanded.

"Almost, Master."

"Good." Replied the wolf, feeling a bit relieved. "With the kid gone, people will begin to doubt our control."

"Sir, in order to maintain the crew needed, we will need to pull men back. They may have to leave the eastern provinces." The gorilla watched his master uneasily, waiting for a reaction. At first, he thought the wolf remain calm. That thought didn't last long, however, when the wolf suddenly lashed out and landed a crushing blow to the ape's abdomen. Despite his smaller size, the punch still caused the gorilla to double over.

"Get reinforcements!" The wolf hissed. "Go all the way to Siberia for all I care!"

"We've tried, Sir." The gorilla replied hoarsely, clutching his midsection. "The Mongols haven't made thing easy for us. Many troops are still trying to fend them off in the north. We can't break through their lines."

"DAMMIT!" The wolf clenched his paws into fists of rage. He tried desperately to get his anger under control, taking a few deep breaths. Once he stopped shaking, he folded his paws neatly behind his back. "How many rebel camps remain in the west?"

The gorilla shuddered at his icy tone. "At least three big ones, from what we know."

The wolf set his gaze ahead and clenched his jaw. "Pull back, but kill them all."

OoOoOoO

Shifu didn't quite believe what the raccoon told him, at least not until he went into the infirmary tent and saw for himself.

"Po?"

The panda was just sitting there, leaning against the side of the tent in front of Tigress' cot. He seemed to be dozing, that is, until the red panda entered. He opened one green eye, and then the other, and stared at Shifu with wide eyes.

"Shifu?" He sat up excitedly. "I thought you were dead?" His voice rose in excitement. He looked to Tigress, who was still sleeping, and lowered it back down. "Sorry, guess I dozed off."

"When did you get here?" The red panda was still very confused at how the panda just magically appeared.

"Super early this morning." The big guy shrugged. "When I found out Tigress was in here, I just kinda came here instead of trying to find you." He rubbed the back of his head with a nervous chuckle.

"But how did you find us?"

"Mantis. I sort of accidently dropped in on him. He told me where you were." Po hesitated. "He's with the Soothsayer."

"Soothsayer?" Shifu was only growing more confused by the moment. "What's he doing with her?"

"Ummm….how do I keep this quick?" Po thought a moment. "Okay. Mantis came to find me. Instead, he found the goat lady. She got him out of Shang Zi, but they were ambushed. I was on my way back from the Valley, where I went but no one was there so I-"

"Po, spit it out." Shifu was growing impatient.

"I helped them defeat the wolves and then told Mantis about another rebel group to the east. He told me how to get here, and then decided to go with the Soothsayer to this other camp and hopefully bring them here so the two could help each other." Po finished, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Does anyone else know you're here?" Shifu was beginning to understand, but he still had some questions.

"How could they not?" Tigress seemed to have woken up without them realizing it. "He'll wake up the whole camp if we're not careful." She stood slowly from the cot and drew her robe tighter around her, coming to stand beside them.

"You look better." Shifu acknowledged. She didn't seem as stiff, and her voice wasn't as breathy.

"Well, ten years has gone by and this guy still hasn't lost his chi ability." She gestured to the panda. "I'm still sore, but I'm good." Shifu had to admit, he was impressed.

"You mentioned other camps. Do you know how many ore there are?" Shifu turned his attention back to Po.

"No. I only know of one of the larger ones because the panda village evacuated to it. It's even bigger than this one." He chuckled, but his expression was sad.

"Evacuated?" Tigress frowned. "They found the village?"

"No, they found me. I led them there without realizing it." He bowed his head slightly. Tigress put a reassuring paw on his arm. "They killed my dad as he was trying to get everyone out."

Shifu dipped his head. "I am sorry, Po."

There was a moment of silence between the three.

"WOAH!" The sudden exclamation surprised all of them. The trio turned their heads and found a young, white fox staring at them with wide eyes.

"Master?" Po frowned, looking at the red panda. Said panda was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Tigress, Po, this is Yú." Shifu was drowned out by Yú scampering over to look at Po up close. "It really is you!" She turned to Shifu and pointed at Po. "It's the Dragon Warrior!"

"Seems you have a fan, Po." Tigress spoke quietly from her spot next to him.

"Master Tigress!" The young fox must have just realized she was there. She came over and grabbed both of Tigress' paws excitedly. "This is so cool!"

"Yú-" Shifu's voice stopped her ramblings. "Was there something you needed?"

"Oh yeah." She released Tigress' paws and turned back to Shifu. "Mei Ling needs you immediately. It's urgent."

"I'll be right there." Shifu replied dismissively. "Po, get your injuries checked. We'll talk in a moment." He nodded to Yú and followed her outside.

"I'll go find the nurse." Tigress left him alone in the tent. At least, for the time being.

After she had found the raccoon, who was eating lunch she returned to the tent to check on her friend, and saw that someone had beaten her to it.

Unfortunately, it was Kai.

The two of them were just staring wide-eyed at one another, not talking or moving. While Kai looked awestruck, Po just looked hurt.  
"Kai," the young tiger turned towards her as she stepped forward, "were you looking for me?"

"Yeah. Viper sent me to come check on you." Kai's eyes darted back to the panda, and then back to his mother. "Is that Po? The one you talked about?"

"Yes." She smiled a bit. Po's expression was making her worried, however. "Kai, would you give us a moment?" The young Tiger cast one more glance to Po, and made his way outside.

"You have a son?" Po spoke first. His voice was quiet, a mix of hurt and anger.

"Calm down." She tried to be nonchalant. "He's almost sixteen." Even as she said it, she watched him deflate a bit. His expression turned to relief and curiosity.

"Does he know?" The panda plopped down on a cot, looking exhausted. "That-"

"That I'm not his real mother?" Tigress moved so she was leaning on the table in front of the cot he was sitting on. "I don't know. I like to think he does, but that's a conversation I have yet to instigate." She looked back up to him and frowned. "What-"

But she was interrupted as Shifu came barreling into the tent. "Po, I'm sorry, but you both need to come with me. Now."

The feline and bear looked briefly at one another, and took off after the red panda as he ran through the camp. Eyes followed them as they ran, a mixture of awe and confusion at seeing the panda once more. They didn't dare stop running, however, because Shifu's pace was faster than they expected him to be able to run.

Even Tigress and Po, who were still relatively in shape, wound up panting when they entered the training hall.

When they entered, there was only shocked silence. Apparently Po hadn't told anybody that he arrived, because they all sprang on him and began talking all at once. Tigress was practically shoved over by Monkey as he ran in for a hug. Ten years ago, she would have been irritable at them acting like children. Now, however, she was just happy her family was alive.

"I am sorry to break up the party, but I need you all to focus." Shifu's voice sent them all skittering away from their friend. Instead, they stood on either side of him, not quite letting him out of arms reach. "We can discuss Po's return later. For now, we have more pressing matters."

"Master, what's going on?" Viper tilted her head from where she sat on Po's shoulder.

"Po, how far is that other camp from here?" Shifu ignored her question.

"A few hours if you move quickly. Why?"

"Crane arrived a few moments ago. He spotted a massive movement of wolves through the western province. They are all headed towards the Imperial City." Shifu folded his hands on top of his staff. "I sent him to alert Mantis so hopefully they can get here in time."

"In time for what?" Tigress spoke up.

"It seems the wolves have begun decimating parts of the Eastern Province. Several cities have already been burned to the ground." A hush fell at Shifu's words.

"They're retreating?" Monkey murmured. "Tigress, any ideas why?"

"No." The feline replied softly. "The only thing I know for a fact is that he has limited reinforcements. If he's pulling back, that means he's planning something."

"Planning what?" Viper asked, but there was no reply.

"In any case, they are moving quickly. We have one of two options. We either: intercept them and stop them from getting to the city, or we wait it out and see what they plan to do." Shifu replied to her instead.

"Well that's obvious." Po shrugged. "We stop them."

"Are we ready for that?" Tigress looked at him with a frown. "I don't know about you guys, but I haven't exactly kept up training."

What Tigress didn't say, and what she didn't want them to know, was that she was worried about her Kung Fu. Hell, she couldn't even get out of the city without help from Mantis. Sure, they threatened Kai, but was that really why she stayed? Or was she just too weak to get herself out?

Almost the entire time spent in there involved more mental abuse than physical. Not knowing if anyone else was alive, or if she would ever get out, wore her brain down little by little. On top of that, every word, every twitch of the face had to be perfectly controlled, or she would end up with broken bones. Sure, the beatings were awful, but the thought of losing her family was worse. Maybe that's why she didn't try and leave the palace-she was afraid of what she would find when she got out. She was afraid that the outside world without her family would be one that she couldn't live through.

"Why don't we just use stealth mode?" Po's innocent question and replies of laughter jolted her from her thoughts.

Surprisingly, Shifu was actually considering his idea. "He has a point. "

"But most of the western areas are desert." Tigress scoffed. "Not exactly good for stealth."

"What about the rivers?" Viper spoke up.

"What about them?" Monkey folded his arms across his chest.

"Why don't we use them to our advantage?" The snake did her best approximation of a shrug.

"If we control the rivers, we control where they go." Tigress spoke without even realizing it, eyes gong wide at the realization of what her friend was proposing.

"What are you guys talking about?" Po was looking between the two of them, confused.

"Because they are in the desert, they will have to follow the rivers back in order to get fresh water. If we can somehow control the rivers, we control which way they travel. It's the perfect setup for an ambush."

"But those rivers are massive." Po exclaimed. "Even if we could block them off, we don't have the time."

"Okay, so we wait at the treeline. Or even in the trees. We know that if they are heading back to the Imperial City, they will have to follow the Yellow River. It's the only one that gets remotely close." Tigress fired back.

"How far are the wolves?" Monkey asked Shifu.

"We at least have until nightfall."

"Okay, so we head to the river. It's only a few hours from here if we travel fast. If we leave now, we can make it." Viper was getting excited. Shifu, who had been mostly silent, held up a hand to calm her.

"You will not be able to do this on your own. The wolves outnumber you greatly, and you have all not yet recovered. I can try and scramble as many rebels to aid you."

"Alright!' Po pumped his fists in the air. "Let's goooooo! New mission!"

Although Tigress tried to be excited as well, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

OoOoOoO

A/N Super long chapter, but what can I say. Felt bad for not updating for a few days. This week is gonna be crazy, so I may not be around as much as I'd like. Sorry in advance.

I don't own anything, btw.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: OMG! I am so sorry for the lack of updates the last two weeks. I had midterms and a wedding and I know that's no excuse, but I still feel really bad. Now that things are settling down, I can start writing again. Anyhoo, thanks for being so patient. I love you guys! 3

OoOoOoO

The night air was anything but still. Gusts of cool autumn wind shook the tree that she was perched in. She rolled her shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension in them. She was thankful that the breeze was blowing against them. It meant their scent would remain downwind and in the opposite direction of the incoming wolves.

Tigress cast her auburn eyes to the tree limb next to her, where Viper perched silently, watching the rising moon with uncertainty.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Her doubt was evident in her voice.

Tigress shrugged. "Po's idea to set a fire and lead them here was a good one. I just hope it work." In all honesty, she was doubtful as well. This entire plan seemed too rushed, and too uncoordinated. When Po mentioned a plan to set a fire and draw them to that point in the woods, things seems to fall into place better, but there was still a chance it wouldn't work.

She and Viper played the role of the lookout. With Tigress still sore and weak, fighting was not on the table. The goal was to ensure that the wolves followed the right path and didn't branch off in different directions before they could be stopped. Once the fire was set, the hope is that the smoke and the noise would draw them right into an ambush. Because of her small size, Viper was tasked with running ahead of the wolves, and drawing them in in case the fires weren't effective.

There was a lot that could go wrong. They could be in larger groups than anticipated, the wind could make starting the fire impossible, the wolves could decide not to investigate, they could send to the palace for reinforcements. All of the uncertainties were filling Tigress' head to the point where it felt like she was bound to implode.

"Ti," Viper's voice was incredibly soft. The snake was looking at a point in the distance over the feline's shoulder. Tigress turned slowly and couldn't help but grin.

A massive column of smoke rose into the sky not too far away from them.

In the distance, the rustling of the undergrowth was unmistakable. Although the wolves may have been cunning, they were not incredibly bright-at least not bright enough to know when to be quiet. Tigress nodded to the snake and the two separated, diving off the branches in opposite directions.

Tigress felt pretty good sprinting from treetop to treetop. The night air felt amazing bracing against her fur as she jumped lightly across the branches. In fact, she was reluctant to stop. However, she was drawing nearer to the source of the rustling.

She slowed until she was creeping along, barely making a sound.

"What the HELL?" A timber wolf, easily twice her size, paced back and forth among a group of at least fifty wolves, all varying in size. "You four, scout it out." He gestured to a few of the larger of his pack and they tore off into the woods. "The rest of you, we are leaving. NOW."

"Where we goin' boss?"

"To meet up with the other scouts."

She waited until the four brutes had left the group before she made any movements. The only thing she dared to do was peek around the side of the tree.

This was what she was worried about. Surely they weren't so stupid to travel in a massive group. It made her wonder just how many scouting parties there were out there. In fact, she suddenly had the distinct feeling they were in over their heads.

Her hesitation was already proving a problem, however, because they were beginning to leave the small clearing. She was alone, and she had to decide.

She rolled her shoulders, loosening her muscles. With a half-hearted leap, she landed in a crouch smack dab in the middle of the pack.

"Hello boys." There was a snide grin on her muzzle that quickly turned to a growl. Before they even registered her sudden appearance, she leapt into action.

She had taken down five before they even began to move.

The sixth lunged at her, teeth bared. She was able to step aside just before he slammed into her, and she used his momentum to swing him around her body and into the seventh, who got a little too close to her throat for comfort. She dodged an attack from the eighth by leaning backwards to avoid his punch to her face and shoving his body backwards over her. However, what she noticed as he flew was the very beautiful sword holster that nearly whacked her head as he went flying.

She skittered back a few steps and yanked the golden hilt from its cover-just in time to parry a strike from wolf number nine. Although she had never been very good with swords, he was still able to dodge and take out ten wolves with it. That is, until one of them grabbed a massive log from seemingly out of nowhere and knock the sword out of her hand. Before she could react, the log was slammed into the side of her head.

She was knocked onto the dust, head pounding and screaming. She blinked a few times, trying to erase the blurriness from her vision. Instead of feeling hopeless, it only made her feel incredibly pissed off. She stood slowly, staggering a little bit. Tigress swiped a paw across her muzzle, and she noticed that blood stained her fur.

"NO!"

OoOoOoO

There was a moment of complete silence, and an uneasiness fell on the quiet clearing.

Why was her heart pounding so loudly in her ears? And what was that ringing?

 _She remembered once, as a child, standing in the courtyard of the Jade palace. For some reason, there was ash in the air. It reminded her of snow._

 _How old was she? Four?_

 _And that ringing. It was making her cry._

 _Why?_

 _When she looked up with tear stained cheeks, the world was blurry. Everything was coated in fuzz. Except for his fur._

 _There was a paw on her cheeks, brushing away the tears. Piercing blue orbs looked down on her with kindness, and maybe even regret._

 _"Tigress?" Tai Lung's voice was quiet. "TIGRESS!" Suddenly it wasn't him calling. Who was that? Who was yelling her name? Tai never yelled at her. Never._

"TIGRESS!" The feline was shivering. Why was she shivering?

Emerald eyes watched her with concern. Two paws sat on her shoulders, gripping them tightly. She was propped up on a tree, legs spread out in front of her. Why was she shivering? Why were her ears ringing?

"Hey, look at me." Po was pleading with her, but she was ignoring him. What she saw over his shoulder was grabbing her attention.

How many wolves had she killed? And _when_ did she kill them?

He moved to block her view, staring intently at her. "Tigress?"

"I d-don't remember." Her voice. It was the closest to breaking he had ever heard.

"What? What don't you remember?"

"I-I don't remember k-killing them." Her voice was a strained whisper, her eyes wide. She looked terrified, and confused. It was such a 360 from what he knew her to be that he wondered briefly if she had snapped.

"Tigress, take a breath." He placed his thumb on her chin and forced her to look at him. She seemed to grow slowly more and more calm. "You reacted instinctively. I know you don't remember, but we have to get moving."

She nodded hesitantly and he wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her to her feet. She let out a sharp gasp, suddenly feeling bracing pain in her side. Several large claw marks had been carved into her fur. She braced her paw on her side and encouraged him to keep moving.

"What happened?" She asked as they hustled along.

"The plan worked, mostly."

"Mostly?" She raised an eyebrow. Finally, her shivering was subsiding.

"There were two scout troops that managed to escape. Mantis and Crane are tracking them now."

"Mantis? But-"

"Oh, you missed it! We were in full on battle mode and Mantis showed up with rebels from the other camp. If not for them, we probably would have been killed." Po shrugged nonchalantly. "It was kind of epic."

"Where are the others?" Although she was happy that Mantis had been able to come to their aid, she was worried that someone had been hurt in her negligence. If she hadn't confronted the pack, maybe she could have helped the others.

"We were able to take a whole lot of prisoners. Viper and Monkey are with them now. Oh, and Shifu returned to the camp." He was really trying to avoid the subject of the dead wolves. She appreciated him for that.

"Do they know?" Her question halted his footsteps. He sighed and looked at the ground, avoiding her gaze.

"No. I volunteered to come find you…alone." His jaw clenched and unclenched. "You really don't remember anything?"

"I remember knocking the first few out. Then I saw blood and everything just went black." Try as she might to remember, her mind just went blank. She didn't dare mention her vision of Tai Lung. Before that moment, she had forgotten that it had happened completely.

"Tigress, are you okay?" His voice was so quiet and innocent. It was hard to believe sometimes that he was an adult, much less a warrior. However, considering that his proximity was calming for her and that he really did care, she could forgive his unintentional immaturity.

'No." she was being honest, not just to him, but to herself. "But I will be."

oOoOoOo

A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't too choppy or lacking in action. I couldn't figure out a good way to write out what I wanted to happen so I just went with it. It just makes sense to me that Tigress would have some kind of trauma from ten years of hell.

Hope you enjoyed

-Boomie out


	15. Chapter 15

To say the gorilla was nervous was a massive understatement.

He wrung his hands together, trying desperately to calm his thudding heart. The news he was about to deliver would probably land with him in hot water with the boss, and he was dreading to think of what would happen.

The doors threw themselves open, and the thud made the ape jump in surprise. In walked the man himself, draped in a lavish silk robe and dripping with overconfidence.

"Shai, my friend." He held his hands out. There was a friendly, yet sinister look on his face. "How are the preparations going?"

"Sir, t-there's something you need to know." The gorilla stammered. He watched the smile leave the wolf's muzzle. "Most of the patrols never made it back. They were attacked by rebels before they could even leave the western provinces."

"I'm sorry," the wolf chuckled, shaking his head. The reaction scared the gorilla to no end, "it sounded as though you were saying the wolves were attacked."

"T-they were, sir."

For a split second, there was an astounded silence.

"WHAT?" Before he could even react, Shai was being slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crack in the stone of the Great Hall. "How many are left?" Bai's voice was harsh and cold.

"Maybe fifty. There were so many of them." The gorilla wheezed out. The room was spinning, making him feel nauseous and tired.

" _Where_ are they?" Bai leaned in real close and hissed.

"I don't know." He braced himself, feeling stupid for being afraid of the wolf half his size. "By the time the other scouts even found out what was happening, they had gone."

The wolf growled, but said nothing. Instead, he pulled away from the gorilla and turned from him, obviously thinking hard. "Can we operate under the resources we have?"

"No, sir." The gorilla slowly lifted himself up, slightly afraid that the wolf would pummel him into the ground again. "We need at least fifty more men."

The wolf paced back and forth, hands behind his back. "How many wolves are in Ho Ching?"

"Last I heard, seventy-two….sir." The Shai stammered back.

"Pull them from the camp. I want them here by morning." He turned away harshly.

"Sir, the prisoners-"

"Are too weak to fight with the rebels. Even if we release them, they will not be physically able to do us harm." Bai bit back harshly. "They WILL be here by the end of the week, or you will no longer have a place of employment." With that biting reply, he left the gorilla on the floor, terrified.

OoOoOoO

Tigress didn't remember much of the last twenty four hours, but Po did.

By the time they made it back to the camp, she had practically collapsed from exhaustion. After dropping her off at the medical tent, he went in search of food.

More than a few people stared at him as he walked by, obviously never having seen him before. It wasn't until Mei Ling and Crane came to join him that he felt less exposed. They showed him where to find decent soup and then led him to the old training hall so that he could catch up with the others.

"Where's Tigress?" Viper pressed almost as soon as he entered. "Did you find her?"

"Yeah. She's in the medical tent getting some rest. What do we know?" He plopped down on a mat, almost spilling his soup. Shifu sat a few paces away, Viper on his left and the fox ( _What was her name? Yú?_ ) sat on his right. Monkey sat next to her, with Mantis perched on his shoulder. Crane sat next to Po and Mei Ling joined the panda on the other side.

"Well, two small scouts managed to get through our defenses." Monkey sighed. "But we did take out quite a few of them. There were so many that we had to set up a new tent just to take care of injuries."

"Are any of them talking?" Crane asked the group. Po slurped his soup happily next to him.

"A few have come out with information, but none of it is useful." Shifu stroked his beard in thought. "It makes me think that they didn't even know the extent of the plans."

"So what do we do now?" Po asked around a mouthful.

"Well, we have one last option. One of the men who was captured was a general. He was beaten pretty bad, but we are hoping that once he wakes, we can get information out of him." Mei replied.

"But what if he doesn't have anything? What then?" Po swallowed and looked to each of them for an answer they didn't have. The group remained silent, not willing to think about what they would do if they couldn't get information.

"Master Shifu!" A young rhino burst through the doors, out of breath. "Ho Ching is being eliminated."

"What do you mean?" Shifu stood from his spot, leaning heavily on his cane.

"The wolves are moving out! They've starting killing everyone they can!"

"Monkey, Mantis, Mei Ling, Crane, go!" Shifu barely finished the command before all three masters had left the building. " Viper, gather some men. Spread out and try to keep them from escaping."

"Master, what do I do?" Po jumped from his spot, soup forgotten.

"Stay here." The panda opened his mouth to protest, but Shifu raised a hand. "This may be a diversion. If it is, I need you here protecting this camp."

Although Po wanted to protest, he knew it was futile.

OoOoOoO

Ho Ching was a scene of mass chaos when Crane touched down. Bodies littered the main courtyard of the camp, from all species. Most of them had deep wounds and he could see their bones through their skin. The scene made him physically nauseous, and he had to fight back the bile rising in his throat.

A scream could be heard across the way in one of the barracks, and he didn't hesitate to run towards the sound. When he entered, he found three slain near the doorway, and the wolf who killed them had grabbed a small doe from where she had been hiding under the bed. He jerked his head up when Crane entered, but didn't have time to react before he was unconscious on the ground.

"Where are the other wolves?" he demanded of the doe, but she was shaking so bad that he regretted his tone.

"We don't know, mister." Another doe peeked her head out from what he assumed were their beds, although they were nothing more than wooden slats."A bunch of them left this morning. There are only a few left here."

"Did you see where the others went?" He asked softly.

"Towards the back of camp. They were leading a bunch of animals outta here. We hid but they found us." Replied the older of the two, fully coming out from their hiding spot.

"Stay here and stay quiet. I'll come back for you." He nodded to them and went full speed out of the door he had come in. He took to the skies, searching the camp for any signs of any survivors, but it was a ghost town. His only bet was trying to find the caravan of animals that the girls described.

The camp backed up to a massive forest, and was surrounded on all sides by ten foot wooden fences. Several tall buildings, that he could only assume served as guard towers, were stationed at different points in the fence. There must have been a dozen or so massive buildings, each housing different animals of different kinds. The number of bodies that lingered on the ground filled him with an outrage that he had never felt before. It was only his mission to find information that kept him from wanting to slaughter every wolf he saw.

He found himself following a trail of bodies, with more and more appearing as he continued on. "They must have been the ones who couldn't keep up." He said to himself.

Finally, he saw it. A massive, slow moving group that seemed ready to collapse. He knew he had to be careful, because they could start taking hostages if he confronted him out in the open. Then, he noticed it: a grey blur moving among the tree tops.

He sighed with relief.

Mei Ling was one of the stealthiest fighters he had ever met, quieter and quicker on her paws than even Tigress. He finally understood why Shifu had sent the four of them, because they were all the stealthiest of fighters. Mantis was nothing more than a green blur in the grass, Monkey could swing through tree tops quieter than most, and Mei Ling could move through the woods like they were her home. Crane was a guiding light for them, his flight telling them where they should go since he could see so much from afar.

By the time he landed, the others had taken care of the wolves.

Many of the animals, who were huddled close together, watched them with awe on their faces and fear in their eyes.

"My name is Mei Ling. We're friends here. We won't hurt you." The spotted leopard dipped her head and the group seemed to calm. "Do you know where they were taking you?"

"Lang Dao." An older Fennec fox came forward. Although he was small in size, the other animals parted for him, as though he were their superior. "I am Fiang. I provided spiritual consult to many of the people inside Ho Ching."

"Do you know where the other wolves went?" Monkey padded over, addressing Fiang.

"All I know is that they were called back to the Imperial City." He replied. "A few were left to get us to another camp and kill any of those who were too weak to walk on their own."

"I am sorry for your losses, all of you." Mei Ling replied. "With all due respect, we need to move. Once Bai Lang hears of this-" She trailed off.

"Do you have a place for us?" A mountain goat cried from where he stood near the Fennec.

"Yes and food, but we must get moving." The group seemed cheered at her reply, and they followed them eagerly.

As the group passed him, Crane found himself being embraced by several animals in thanks and happiness and every range of emotion. It lifted his heavy heart, somewhat, but he still felt as though the world were crushing him. It suddenly donned on him that he had forgotten about the does. He took off to the skies, this time avoiding flying over the camp and the bodies that he passed on his way to the group.

This time when he touched down, he felt slightly less apprehensive. He entered the barracks eagerly, and called for the two little does he had met earlier. They came out eagerly at the sound of his voice.

"Come, we need to get moving." He gestured for them to walk out of the barracks, but the older one of the girls stopped and looked at him curiously.

"Where are we going?"

"Some place safe." And the words made his heart feel light.

OoOoOoO

A/N: This is the part where I beg for your forgiveness at my late posting. Shit has been crazy. I don't own anything. Love you guys. Boomie out


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: *peeks around corner* heeeeyyy all….

I will spend the rest of my life apologizing for completely abandoning this fic. Things got really heavy for a while and writing was just not possible.

But I was going through old files on my computer and I found this and decided it needs to be finished. SO I will update as often as I can until it gets done.

I'm sorry again for abandoning you all…please believe me when I say it was not intentional…

OoOoOoO

Seventy three.

They were able to save seventy three.

Fiang told him that at its maximum, the camp held two hundred and fifty.

Crane didn't think about the numbers as he moved along the tents, watching the firelight flicker in the dark. They barely found enough space for everyone, and he was thankful that Mantis had shown up when he did. Without the supplies of the second camp, people would be sleeping in the grass.

But instead, animals were outside by choice. They talked loudly and laughed, nursing their first real meal in a long time. Children chased one another through the grass. And whenever he walked past, they waved and smiled.

It reminded him of the autumn festivals back home.

"It's beautiful." Mei Ling appeared at his side, walking with him towards their command building. "So much suffering, and yet they still play." She gestured to a young kit, who tackled her sister with a giggle.

"I forget sometimes how much of an optimistic you are." He teased lightly as they began ascending the steps to the building.

She stopped, paw on her hip, and gave him a look. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Suddenly, she frowned and sniffed the air.

"What is it?"

She said nothing, but she took off up the stairs at a sprint. He followed, and then he smelled it, too.

"Please tell me you made enough of that for us." Mei headed over to Po, who leaned over a pot of his famous noodle soup.

The smell was heavenly, and it permeated every corner of the room.

"Well duh." Po grabbed two bowls and ladled an immense amount of soup into each. "Haven't had much of an excuse to make it for a few years, so who knows how good it will be."

"Oh please!" Mantis cried from his cushion on the floor. "It tastes even better than it used to! No offense."

"None taken." He chuckled. "It's nice to have people to cook for. Been on my own for a while." He handed the bowls to Crane and Mei Ling, and then refilled his own and sat on the floor next to Shifu.

Even the old master had his share, having missed just how well the panda could cook. Tigress had come up too, but she looked distant and in pain.

Crane and Mei Ling sat on the floor next to Mantis and Viper, and for a moment, the room was silent.

"This is awesome!" Ever the happy go lucky, Po looked around the room, a goofy smile on his face.

"It's the first time we've all been together." Viper mused quietly.

"It's good." Monkey nodded. "After the Valley fell, I didn't really think that would ever happen again."

Mei Ling hesitated before she spoke. "What happened? In the valley, I mean."

It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

"Sorry." She apologized sheepishly, looking into her bowl. "It's just...we heard so many rumors."

The rest of the five turned their glances towards Tigress, Po, and Shifu. They had been the only ones left to guard the Valley.

"Tigress and I were training and suddenly I smelled gunpowder." Po began. "We barely got out of the way before the first cannon fired at the palace. Tigress and I went down to try and evacuate the villagers as best we could. We got blown into a building by a blast, and we were both injured." He set down his bowl, suddenly not feeling so hungry. "I don't know why they didn't come after us quicker."

"You got away?" Viper looked up at him.

"Yeah. Made it into the woods. Decided to follow the gorge and see if we could get to the river, but they caught us." Po said with a sigh. "I only got away because Ti pushed me over the edge."

He said it so nonchalantly that it took them a second to process.

"She what?" Shifu bit back, looking at his adopted daughter, but she wasn't even paying attention to the conversation it seemed. Her head was a million miles away.

"What happened after?" Viper asked, sparing Tigress from questions she didn't seem ready to answer.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably, suddenly hesitant.

"It's ok." Mei Ling said softly. "You don't have to tell us if you're not ready."

He flashed her a grateful smile.

"So," Crane spoke after a moment, "what do we do now?"

The question seed to stump them all.

"For now, we rest." Shifu spoke up. "There are many people here who are injured, both physically and mentally. In the morning, we'll see what information can be provided. I think we all need to put our minds together."

Although he didn't call her out, the others looked to Tigress. She had been in the palace, overheard plans. She could provide good information.

But, she saw their glances and it send her heart thudding just thinking about it. Her head pounded with each heartbeat. Her paws grew cold.

"I-i-i can't." Her voice was barely above a breathless whisper. She was up and out of the training hall before they could react.

Po made like he wanted to go after her, but Shifu stopped him before he could.

OoOoOoO

Once out in the cool air, she felt better.

But her vision still swam and her head still pounded. Every heartbeat brought back visions of blood in her head.

She wound her way through the tents until she reached the edge of the camp, and just kept going, even climbing up the tallest tree she could find.

She felt better, safer even, once she was up high.

"It must be a cat thing."

"Not now, Kai." She bit out, ignoring his joking tone. He must have noticed just how hard she was breathing, because he joined her on her branch.

You sprinted out of camp so I wanted to make sure you were ok." His paw on her bicep was reassuring. It grounded her, kept her focused. "Panic attack?"

She nodded slowly as the world seemed to steady. She opened her eyes and things weren't blurry.

"Have you eaten?"

She nodded again.

"You tore your stitches." He commented, noticing the blood beneath the bandages. She glanced down, just registering the pain.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Please. You have been taking care of me all this time. Let me do the same." He waited until she nodded, and then said "Come on. Let's get you back."

OoOoOoO

Shifu watched the two tigers as they re-entered camp, talking quietly. His hands were folded behind his back.

"He's good for her." He commented to the panda, who stood watching next to him.

Po only nodded, not saying anything.

"Po, things will never go back to the way they were." The panda looked up at his words. "All we can do now is help one another move on. She'll be okay." He patted the panda's arm and turned to head back inside. "Just give her time."

Po nodded, but his insides twisted.

Would they be okay though?

OoOoOoO

A/N: I love you readers!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Hey all. As promised, another chapter. I will try and post at least once a week (maybe more often once school ends), but I don't have a set schedule.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO0

Tigress managed a few hours of sleep before nightmares dragged her back to reality. When she opened her eyes the fourth time, she resigned to just remaining awake.

The nurse's insistence that she stay in the medical tent for a little while only made it all the more difficult to get some shut eye. Not only did the moans and groans of the injured pervade the air, but the guilt at sleeping in there when she wasn't really injured gnawed at her stomach.

She stood from the bed, determined to get some fresh air.

The sun was not even above the horizon yet, the camp was deathly quiet. She wound her way through the wet grass, drinking in the coming autumn breeze.

Tigress didn't really know where her paws were taking her, only that she was getting to the edge of the camp. The grass changed underfoot, shifting from meadow to forest. However, she kept walking, wanting to explore the woods for the first time since being in the valley.

 _The valley._ Thinking about home made her heart hurt. She longed for the days of simplicity, of training and missions. The uncertainty of the last ten years had taken its toll. _On all of them, it seemed._

A crack of a branch behind her jerked her from her thoughts, and she whipped around, growl building up in her chest.

She stepped back in realization when she saw who it was. "Po? What the hell are you doing?"

"Sorry," He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I watched you leave camp…just wanted to make sure you were okay."

He must have been unable to sleep like her.

She took a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just don't scare me like that." She pushed him playfully.

She turned away and continued her walk, but paused when he called "Hey, wait!"

She hummed a response.

"Can I show you something cool?" He looked so excited that she was inclined to say yes. He moved ahead of her, and wound his way through the woods, following some unseen path toward an unknown place.

They must have walked for several moments, before they cleared the edge of the woods.

"What is this?"

Long rows of trees stretched for what seemed like forever. The sun had finally crested the horizon, and the dew on the leaves sparkled with the rising sun. As she moved down the rows, she answered her own question. The sunlight illuminated the fruit that had fallen to the ground.

"Is this an orchard?" She asked. Her paw reached out tentatively to touch the bark of the nearest tree.

"I guess it was at one point." He shrugged. "Found this place on accident yesterday. It hasn't been used in years, but the trees still bear fruit."

"Peaches." The word was like candy on her tongue. She smiled a bit to herself as she looked up into the branches of the tree. It was a little late in the season, but several of the fruit still hung ripe from the branches.

"That's a sight I haven't seen in a while." He commented softly. At first, she thought he meant the peaches, But when she turned, he was looking at her, or rather, the smile on her muzzle.

"Thank you, Po." She reached up into the tree and plucked a fruit, then tossed it to him. "I needed this."

The smile on his face faltered, and he hesitated before looking up at her. "I know you're not okay. We all do."

She looked at the peach in her paw, and then stepped out from under the tree and closer to him.

"I know you aren't either." She replied just as soft. "But maybe….maybe we can still help."

OoOoOoO

They stood in a circle, much like they had the night before, but this time, tensions ran higher. Tigress was not among them, Po neither.

"Something's off." Viper was the first to speak once they were all settled. Several confused looks were shot her way.

"I agree." Monkey chimed in, folding his hands in front of him. "A camp this size, plus an ambush on their men, and no retaliation?"

"They've got resources, men, so what are they waiting for?" Viper finished. "Why haven't they attacked?"

"They can't." It seemed Tigress had arrived, jaw clenched. Although her paws were shaking, she fought it off long enough to stand just outside the circle, looking at Shifu. Po had followed her in, and he stood as well next to Crane, arms folded across his chest.

"What do you mean? And where have you been?" Shifu replied incredulously, looking her over with wide eyes.

"Oh." she threw something in the air towards him and he caught it…a peach.

"Why can't they?" Mei Ling looked up at her.

"Because they don't have food." She replied. "A lot of the people they put into the camps worked on the farms and orchards. With all of the people they've killed, they don't have enough food to feed the wolves." She gestured to the peach, still in Shifu's outstretched hand. "They're starving."

"How do you know that?" Mantis asked, but the glare from Po made him wish he hadn't said it.

Tigress took a deep breath. "The wolves talk" was all she said.

"Can Kai help us?" Po suddenly looked up at Tigress, frown on his face. The others looked to her in confusion.

"Maybe. I can certainly ask." She replied, thinking deeply. "If anyone knows what they were up to.."

"It would be him." Po finished.

"I'll be back." She turned on her heel and left the room, feeling eyes on her back as she did so. Of course, she knew they had questions. Po and Viper were the only two who knew her connection to the feline. Most likely, they would explain it to the others.

OoOoOoO

"Do you know-"

Monkey didn't even need to finish the question for Viper to respond. "He's her son." The reply caused several intakes of breath. Viper and Po looked at one another across the circle.

"Not biologically." Po finished. "She took him in when he was a kid."

"It was to keep her compliant." Viper explained. "If she tried to get out, or fight back, he would bear the consequences and vice versa. If he didn't play his part, she…" Viper didn't finish. She didn't need to.

Shifu's eyes fell to his feet, and he leaned heavily on his cane. He felt guilt lap at his feet, seemingly wanting to pull him down under. _Was this all his fault?_

Tigress returned before the conversation could continue, Kai on her heels.

"Kai." Viper gave the boy a kind smile as he joined their group.

"I was told you guys might need my help." He responded, nodding to Viper.

"Do you know what the wolves are planning?" Shifu asked him right out of the gate.

"Not exactly." Kai replied sheepishly. "A lot of the main plans Bái láng had were kept secret…only the top brass knew about them." When he saw their fallen faces, he sighed. "I do know there's a weapon involved."

"A weapon?" Mei Ling's tail twitched eagerly.

"Yeah." He nodded enthusiastically. "It was massive. Bái láng took me to the ports to show me one time. It was this long thing and it shot these massive balls…oh god what was it called?"

"A cannon?" Crane asked.

"Yeah, that's it." Kai seemed super excited that someone knew what it was. However, the looks on the masters' faces made the smile slide off of his face.

Po was the one brave enough to say the word they were dreading.

"Shen."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Hello all! Apologies for the delay...i have entered hell month (aka final exam month) and things are getting shaky. I may not be able to update as much for the next two weeks, at least until school is over.

Also, I think this story may be longer than anticipated….

Enjoy!  
OoOoOoO

"Shen…" Kai's wide-eyed gaze flicked back and forth between the group."I know that name. Bi Liang used to talk about him."

"He's dead." Shifu bit out. He glanced at Po, who was staring angrily at some point in the distance, fists clenched at his side.

"What does he want with Shen's cannon?" Viper asked the group, but the question was directed at Kai.

"It isn't Shen's cannon?" Kai replied, uncertainty written on his features. He was taken aback at the confused looks sent his way. "I mean, Shen built it, but the design wasn't his."

"Kai," Tigress stepped forward, "what do you mean?"

"Bi Liang used to talk about Shen all the time. He used to say that if Shen had done what he was supposed to, China would have fallen years ago." Kai replied. "He was adamant about it. He blamed the rebellions on Shen's inadequacies...whatever that means."

"You mean Shen wasn't working alone?" Crane frowned at the boy. "He was working for someone?"

"Yeah." Kai nodded eagerly.

"So, everything we knew about Shen was wrong?" Monkey looked at Mantis.

"But the Soothsayer…" Po trailed off.

"He destroyed the panda village because of the prophecy, that much remains the same." Tigress folded her arms across her chest. "The only thing that has changed is that we now know he was working for someone. So what is that person planning?"

"All I know is that his primary goal was taking China, and Bai Liang hasn't done that yet." Kai spoke up. "This camp is proof of that. So he will retreat back to his weapon because he knows that it works."

"So what do we do?" Po's question was soft, and it silenced the room. "How do we stop this?"

"Destroy the cannon?" Mei Ling shrugged, but there was a question in her voice.

"That won't be easy. If he's pulled back forces from the camps, his weapon will have protection, and a lot of it." Tigress replied.

"And all those people…" Viper trailed off. "We have to find the other camps, see if we can help the prisoners in them. If they're anything like these people, they're close to death."

"We don't have the supplies for that." Mei Ling replied. "This camp is overstretched as it is. We don't have enough food or beds. And we've only got a few doctors at most."

"The priority is helping them. China is nothing if the people suffer." Shifu spoke in response. "We need to find more supplies."

"The festival…" Kai's sudden outburst caught them off guard. Tigress looked caught off guard for a moment before she understood what he was getting at.

"It's a good idea...a risky one, though." The unspoken communication between the two was habit from ten years of quick looks and whispers when the guards weren't looking. Seeing her comrades watch them expectantly, she explained "The Mid-Autumn festival is in just under a week. Bai Liang always has a caravan of food brought in for a feast in the Imperial City. It's the biggest party of the year aside from New Years."

"You want to attack a heavily guarded caravan?" Crane was looking at her like she was insane, and maybe she was.

"It's a way to get food." She explained. "And if they really are pulling wolves back, it will not be as heavily guarded as it normally is."

She looked to Shifu, who was thinking it through, hand stroking his beard. "Fine. But I will not be sending all of you."

He stopped their protest with his hand. "Viper is right. There are other camps in the western regions that we must try to assist. And we need some of you here, protecting the people." He sighed and leaned on his cane. "Viper, Mantis, Tigress-work on the caravan. Kai, if you know the route the caravan takes, it will help them."

The young tiger nodded in reply.

"Crane and Mei Ling, scout ahead for camps. You two are our fastest. If you find any, come back here. We can send a group out to free them. The rest of you will need to remain here to protect the camp."

His statement dismissed them all to their planning. Kai moved quietly to look at the map of China spread out on the table. He frowned at it, dark eyes scanning over the valleys and mountains. He felt rather than heard Tigress move to stand next to him. With a tentative claw, he pointed to a spot on the map.

"Is this where you're from?"

She nodded, humming in reply. Mantis hopped up on the table, Viper slithering up behind him.

"Do you know the route the caravan takes?" Viper looked up to him kindly, and he gulped. "Not exactly. They change the route it takes every year to avoid being robbed. I know the food comes from the south . They spend days collecting it." Kai shrugged.

"You think they could be in the valley? There's a ton of farm land down there." Tigress asked him, but he shrugged again, looking a bit overwhelmed.

"We'll leave for the Valley tomorrow afternoon so we can travel by night. Maybe we'll be able to spot the caravan from the palace." Viper was excited about the prospect of going home. She sat up taller, eyes mischievous.

"Mantis-" Shifu came over to join their group. "I have a special task for you. Come with me." He gestured to the door with his head, and the bug followed him outside.

"What was that about?" Po came over to the table.

"No idea. But if I know Shifu as well as I think I do, he has something up his sleeve." Viper replied.

"I'm surprised you're okay just remaining here." Tigress teased. "I thought you'd want to be a part of the action."

"Well, even though I know you're desperate for my help, it will be nice to stay here. Maybe I will get a group together...collect some peaches. Warrior stuff."

Viper giggled at his teasing, relief in her chest. It was nice to hear them bantering again…

Tigress glanced back down to the map briefly, and then at each of them, gaze turning serious.

"Alright. What's our plan?"

OoOoOoO

A/N: I know it's short, but I have been trying to write for two days and I keep getting interrupted.

Bear with me peeps


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Hey all!

This will probably be the only chapter I'll post this week. I'm in the middle of exams.

Also, to the guest who keeps telling me in all caps to update: I am trying my absolute hardest to update when I can. Yelling at me in the reviews isn't going to make me write any faster.

I'm not trying to be mean, and I promise I won't let this story fall by the wayside, but you have to give me breathing room.

Anyways, this chapter is not so much action-oriented. Mostly just conversation.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

"He'll be back."

Shifu startled, not even realizing that Viper had come up next to him. He regained his composure, and returned his blue eyes to the sky, watching Crane fly into the distance.

She watched him as well, eyes blanketed in concern.

"Every time someone leaves, I just get this feeling in my gut." She said softly, his silence an invitation to indulge her fears. "I worry that they won't come back."

Shifu thought a moment, eyes scanning the camp. "When they attacked the Valley, I worried they had already killed you all. Even after years of searching-nothing. I'm happy to have any time I can with you."

"Traders came in from the villages. They told us you were dead." She replied. "Of course, I don't think any of us actually believed it."

Despite the brief smile that flashed across her face, he could see the years of worry, of being on the run, had worn her down. Her smile wasn't so carefree, and there was a hardness to her eyes. He could see it on the others as well, in the way Mantis jumped slightly when anyone came near him unexpectedly, how Crane seemed ready to take off at a moment's notice.

And Tigress…

His heart ached for his daughter, for what she had been made to do.

On the other hand, he was immensely proud. She hadn't given up, despite everything. She still stood straight and tall, like a warrior, willing to help others at a moment's notice. Maybe Kai helped with that...he seemed to have a calming effect on her.

Shifu sighed to himself.

"Shifu," Viper's tone turned curious,"Who is Yú exactly?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just...something she said." Viper replied. "She told me you found her in the Valley."

"I did."

"Well it can't be coincidence." He raised one eyebrow at her statement. "You find her in the Valley just as Crane finds you." She thought out loud.

"There are no accidents." Shifu replied, a chuckle escaping his lips at the quote from Oogway. "It seems Oogway left a prophecy for her."

The snake turned to him in surprise. "A prophecy? Shifu, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it does not make any sense." Shifu faced her, shaking his head. "Even for Oogway. And It could happen in a day, or a decade."

Viper hummed in agreement. "Still, you should tell the others when we get back. We're leaving as soon as Crane gets back from scouting. And Shifu,"

He looked at her questioningly.

"This plan you have for Mantis….it's risky."

"He told you?"

She nodded silently.

"I know, but we need to know what Bai Liang has in store for us. That's the best way I can think of doing it. Tigress...she won't be able to help us." He replied.

"I don't disagree." She replied simply.

OoOoOoO

Kai padded amongst the tents quietly, fists clenching and unclenching, the feeling of blood crackling on the pads of his paws.

He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the copper scent invading his nostrils. There had, at one point, been a bucket of water to rinse his paws off, but it seemed someone had taken it away to be cleaned.

"Hey!" A voice called from behind. A young fox, with wintry fur, jogged to catch up with him. "Are you-hey you're bleeding!"

"No, no-" He replied, flustered, trying to keep the fox from drawing too much attention to him. "I was helping, with the injured I mean."

"Oh." She replied understandingly. "There's a stream in the woods back there, if you wanna rinse your paws off." She gestured with blue eyes to the woods behind her. "I'll show you."

She turned and began walking away from him, and it took him a second to process that she was helping him, so he had to jog to catch up.

"I'm Yú." She said quietly as they neared the edge of camp.

"Kai."

"I know." She laughed, more to herself than out loud. "You're the Emperor's son. Everyone has been talking about it."

He looked at her, confusion crossing his face. They were talking about him? That wasn't good...they probably hated him.

"It's cool that you're helping out, you know." They had come to the stream, and she watched as he crouched down at the edge to rinse the blood off his paws.

"It's the least I could do. They're suffering because of me."

"Wait, you don't really think that, do you?" He looked up at her, dark eyes meeting blues in confusion. "Don't be an idiot."

"What?"

"Bai Liang. He started all of this, not you." She placed her hands on her hips. "The fact that you're here, helping, that's good enough for anyone."

He was surprised, to say the least. Not so much at the fact that a complete stranger was so direct with him, but rather that her words seemed to actually put him at little more at ease.

"Thanks." He replied gratefully after a moment. He stood, wiping his wet paws on his vest.

"For what?"

"I think you're the first one who's been straight with me since I got here." He began walking back, and she joined him, keeping up with his stride easily. "Even Tigress is keeping things from me."

"I don't think it's intentional." Yú replied, eyes softening. "The last decade has been a horror show. She's trying to keep you protected from that." The fox shrugged.

He suddenly felt ridiculous, confiding so readily into someone he barely knew. However, there was something trustworthy in Yú...he couldn't quite explain it.

"So, you were getting ready to ask me something, before we came out here. What was it?"

Yu's eyes suddenly went wide, remembering what she had been sent to do.

"Damn! I totally forgot! Master Po found an orchard on the other side of the woods. He wants anyone available to come pick peaches for the camp." She replied, speeding up her pace and passing him. "You feel like helping?" She called back, not even looking back at him.

He caught up easily, nodding.

OoOoOoO

By the time they got to the orchard, several other animals had already climbed into the trees, and began dropping peaches into makeshift baskets on the ground, It was quite the interesting sight. Children scampered amongst the branches, calling to one another as they did so. Down a row, an old one-legged panther sang an old folk song.

"Hey! You guys made it!" Po came over, shifting the basket of fruit onto his hip. He looked between the two of them. "You're young, probably faster than I am. Why don't you start carrying baskets back to camp? They've started pitting them in the dining tent."

The two nodded simultaneously, and he handed them the basket.

It was pretty heavy, but between the two, it was manageable.

While they carried the crates of peaches down to camp, they talked. Yú told him about her father, he told her about life in the palace. It was...nice, having a companion his own age. By the third or fourth trip, they had become close friends.

By the time the sun began to set, half of the orchard was devoid of fruit, and a crowd of animals sat around, resting and cooling off in the breeze of the late afternoon. Children chased one another, kicking up leaves.

But their job wasn't done. After they returned for the last bucket, Po walked with them, deciding to help cut peaches back at camp.

"Hey Po," Kai looked up at them as they walked, tossing a peach and catching it in one paw. "Look, i'm sorry. We kind of got off on the wrong foot."

"No worries." The panda shrugged. "You caught me off guard, that's all."

"I know there aren't many tigers left." Kai looked down to his feet, stepping over tree roots. He saw Po look at him out of the corner of his eye with mild surprise. "The emperor used to say that I was one of a kind."

"So…" Po began hesitantly "You know?"

"That Tigress isn't my mom? Yeah." Kai kept his eyes on his feet. Po seemed to relax a little bit, but his expression was unreadable. There was concern in there, and curiosity. Kai smiled to himself.

"She talked about you a lot." Kai murmured, almost to himself. Po looked to him, eyebrow raised.

"Must have been cool, being raised by _Master_ Tigress." Yú smiled to herself.

Kai chuckled. "I don't know about cool." He shrugged. "But she is the closest thing I have to family. I kind of owe her everything."

They had neared the edge of camp. As they passed the people, especially the children, they passed out whole peaches.

Only half of the basket remained by the time they reached the food stores, but the several old women sitting outside and cutting peaches welcomed them with open arms. Po left them there to head back to Shifu and the others. However, he paused as Tigress came out of the medical tent.

"Hey. Hungry?" He tossed up a peach, and she caught it easily.

"Seems like they're getting along." She commented, gesturing with her head to Kai and Yú, who sat close, talking and cutting peaches.

"Yeah." He murmured. "He's a good kid."

She took a bite, relishing in the sweet juice on her tongue. The setting sun cast a glow on the camp, a sense of warmth and energy.

For a moment, everything was peaceful.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: hey y'all. Life got pretty crazy there, so apologies for the late post.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Again, they were in the trees.

The sun bore through the leaves, but they did nothing to quell the heat that had decided to return to China late in the season. Tigress remained poised, muscles aching, and beads of sweat rolling through her fur.

She didn't dare move. The caravan of food rumbling through the pass was being lead by the best of the best. Those wolves could smell her breath if she sighed hard enough.

Through the trees, she could just make out Viper, who had wound herself around the branch, hanging from it as she watched for the carts.

Crane had told them that the caravan was five carts long, and moving much quicker through the Ghan Pass than originally planned. They left early in the morning, arriving just in time to lie in wait.

The amount of guards watching the food was quite impressive. At least fifteen of the biggest wolves she had ever seen. Tigress held her breath, hoping Shifu's psychotic plan would work.

To get through to the Imperial city, they had to pass through a rocky gorge, and the woods nearby was where she was now hiding. She waited as the first cart made it through.

Tigress gave it a second, and then jumped lightly down from the tree. She snapped a large branch as she did so.

Here came the tricky part. Moving to the edge of the rock walls, where the rock could shift at any moment, she had to remind herself that falling in would only bring trouble. She rammed the stick as hard as she could into a fissure in the rock. Then, she leapt up, and used all of her strength to jam the log deep into the rock. There was a satisfying crack, and she skittered out of the way as the entire face of the gorge began sinking downward.

It, surprisingly, worked. The first cart was effectively separated from the rest.

"We aren't safe here." She heard a wolf call. She had just barely made it to the treeline, panting.

"Move onto the city. Let them know we had to find another route."

"Yes sir."

She waited, waited, breath hitching, until the sounds of the first cart only briefly echoed in the distance.

Now.

Tigress and Viper jumped from their hiding spots, landing in the gorge before the wolves could even react. They had taken four out before Po and Monkey arrived.

It was nice, having him fighting at her back. There was a reassurance to his presence, a calmness when he was around. She didn't feel like she was losing control when he was fighting with her.

Dealing with the wolves was easy with the four of them. In no time, bodies of unconscious canines littered the ground around them.

"We'll need to get a group out here to collect all of this food." Monkey said, picking up a melon from one of the carts and marveling at it.

One entire cart was filled with nothing but sacks of rice. Vegetables and fruits of all kinds were piled high. Po even found some flour and sugar cane, vowing to make some kind of dessert for everyone.

It made them all hungry, all except Tigress, who watched the horizon with a skeptical eye.

"What is it?" Po came to her side.

"Nothing." She let out a deep breath. "I just hope we gave Mantis enough time."

"We did." He nodded reassuringly.

All she could do was agree.

OoOoOoO

"Bai Liang, sir."

The white wolf bared his teeth at the gorilla's nervous tone. It was like nails on a chalkboard to him. It signalled something was wrong.

"What?" He bit out, turning slowly. The throne room seemed to grow darker with his rage.

"Sir, the caravan for the festival….there was a rockslide in the gorge. Only one cart came back." the gorilla watched as Bai Liang took a deep breath, and let it out through his teeth, trying not to release his pent up rage.

"A rockslide?"

"Yes sir. The cart that made it back said that they were told to go on ahead." The ape took a breath. "We've scouted the area. The caravan and the wolves are gone."

"Did they check the cart?" The wolf muttered lowly.

"What, sir?"

"THE CART YOU IDIOT!" Bai Liang's paw flew out to grab the gorilla by the throat.

"No…" The gorilla choked out. The air was gone from his body, blackness blurring at the edge of his vision.

"Tai," Bai Liang got the attention of a younger ape standing off to the side, "check the cart for me, will you?"

"Yes sir." He nodded dutifully and went jogging out of the room.

Bai Liang smiled ruefully and turned his dark gaze to the gorilla now gasping for air.

"Ah, the exuberance of youth."

With nothing more than the flick of his paw, he snapped the ape's neck.

OoOoOoO

Mantis felt every fiber of his being telling him to run as he scurried in the shadows. The Imperial Palace was dark, and it was late. Even the wait staff had gone to bed.

He had crept out of the cart before it even reached the kitchen, and hid himself behind the water basin until everyone was gone. Now, he was looking.

Mantis' paused at a fork in the hall, looked both ways, and decided to follow the path with the most guards.

As much as he loved a challenge, that wasn't why. He figured that the more guards meant that there was more to protect. So, he weaved through legs, darted shadow to shadow, until he reached a large oak door that could only be the Emperor's study. He the wall, and waited until the white wolf himself left the room.

Seemingly unaware of the bug, the wolf moved down the hall. Mantis' snuck in just before the door could close.

"Alright, doggy, let's see what you're hiding." Mantis chuckled to himself, now alone in the study. He didn't really need to look very hard. It seemed Bai Liang had left several scrolls on his desk, all of which could be considered important.

But what caught his attention was the bookshelf, where a small scroll lay on a jewel-encrusted pillow. He crept up to it and his breath hitched.

It was in Oogway's handwriting.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Wow...I think it goes without saying that I did not mean to abandon this fic….

But like I said, I want to finish this. So here's another chapter... Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

It was safe to say that Mantis had been in all sorts of different situations. Thrown off a building? Yep. Bean bun fight? Po had made sure of that. Fighting on a boat? Thank Shen.

A frying pan thrown at his head? That was a new one.

Leaving the palace the way he had entered would have been difficult, seeing as how most of the castle knew he was there but didn't know where exactly he was. So he changed tactics, deciding instead to sneak out the kitchen and through the servants quarters. He didn't count on being spotted by an old goat.

"GET HIM!"

And suddenly a wok flew at him, narrowly missing his head and implanting in the wall. He crept along the cabinets, sticking to the shadows as she screamed for guards. He just barely got out through a tiny window before two massive apes came barreling into the kitchen, looking around wildly for him.

He clutched the scroll tighter as he crept through the gardens, thankful for the dark. He hesitated when he reached the woods.

Something Tigress had said stuck with him, about Shang Zhi. He glanced at his surroundings before scurrying up a tree to get his bearings. Shang Zhi was only a short distance.

Making his mind up, he hopped from branch to branch, nearing the glowing lights of the border city.

Hopefully, Mr. Ping would be there.

OoOoOoO

For the first time in a while, Po's heart wasn't soothed by food.

As he kneaded dough for peach tarts, his head was a million miles away, thoughts buzzing through his head at lightning speed.

A prophecy.

Viper had been reluctant to share that little bit of information with him before taking off towards the caravan. Of course, he didn't blame her for keeping it on the down low. The last time a major prophecy had come across the Furious Five, it had been about him and had ended not-so-well.

But still…..Yu?

Not that he questioned Oogway (the man had his mysteries), but he wondered just what exactly the young fox had gotten into. Far too much had been lost. It was hard on him and the five, so he couldn't imagine how she had grown up into it. Camps of death and ten years of suffering were something no child should have been born into.

However…..as he watched a couple of kits chase one another across the grass, he couldn't help but smile to himself.

Briefly.

There was still quite a bit on his mind for him to truly relax. The carts they had returned with were piled high with fruits and vegetables of all kinds, but only four carts returned with them to the camp. It would hold them over for now, but the number of people in the camp would dwindle the supplies quickly.

And on top of that, whatever Bai Liang was planning would happen soon. He could feel it in his gut.

"Are you alright?"

It was the first time Shifu had come to speak with the panda alone since he got here- not at all surprising considering the events of the last few days. Po began rolling out the dough, giving his hands something to do.

"Just anxious…." He replied. Shifu's blue gaze never left him, a signal for him to elaborate. "For a while…..for a while, I thought that maybe this was it. This was how life was just going to be." He began cutting circles in the dough with a knife. "But now that we are all together again, I just want this to be over already."

Shifu paused a moment, not sure what exactly to reply with.

"I feel something similar." He replied. His gaze caught the striped pelt of his daughter leaving the medical tent. She had to get her stitches checked. "But a race to complete the task is a task poorly completed."

Po chuckled once. "Is that one of Oogway's old sayings?"

Shifu nodded, allowing a smirk, and didn't verbally reply. Not to that, anyway.

"Is she alright?" He gestured with his head to the feline, who was speaking quietly to a goose overseeing the food rations.

"To be honest, Master, I don't know." Po shrugged. "I don't think any of us are, really. Maybe you should go speak with her." He said it kindly, but passed Shifu a glare that clearly meant man up and speak with your daughter.

"Thank you."

Before Po could ask 'what for', Crane touched down lightly in the grass, gathering the attention of not only the Masters, but also everyone else.

"Did you find anything, brother?" Viper slithered up. Tigress came over as well, and Po and Shifu joined them.

"Well, no." Crane frowned, chest heaving in his haste to return home. "I mean yes, but-" He fought for words for a moment. "The wolves are completely gone from all of the western provinces. They just completely up and left their camps unattended."

"He must have been desperate to get them back." Tigress murmured.

"We found three large camps. Most of the animals are still locked in, so Mei Ling is trying to find a way in. But that's not the strange thing-"

"Then what?" Po's impatience seemed to be a commonality among them all.

"There are rebels in Shang Zhi-"

"We already guessed that." Shifu interrupted.

"No, I mean the rebels are in Shang Zhi." Crane barked out. "The whole town is burning. I could see the smoke from the sky on my way back, so I decided to do a fly by. They are fighting in the streets."

"Mantis-" Tigress broke off. "He hasn't returned yet. Master, we have to-"

"I know." Shifu held a hand to silence her while he thought.

"Sir." Fiang, the small fennec, stepped forward, the leopard Jao at his side. "We have a few who are able and quite willing to fight, if you would like assistance."

Shifu stared at him wide-eyed, echoing the surprise they all felt.

"We can't ask you to do that, not after what you've been through." Po spoke up, squeezing Crane's shoulder briefly. The avian looked shell shocked, as though he had seen a ghost. Po's attempt at comfort seemed to soothe his ruffled feathers, but not enough.

"We want to." An older pug, with grey around her muzzle, stepped forward. Tigress, of course, recognized her. She was an old Kung Fu master, who ran a school near the border with Mongolia. Master…..Ju, maybe? Though, she wasn't sure.

"Alright." Shifu still seemed reluctant, but they were running out of options. If they wanted to assist the rebels, they needed to act fast. "If you can and are willing to fight, meet at the northern edge of the camp in ten minutes. We need to get moving."

The crowd seemed to disperse at his words.

"Crane, find Mei Ling. We'll need her."

"Sir, she's still at the other camps." Crane argued.

Shifu cursed under his breath, something he rarely did. "Alright, go prepare. Tigress, come with me a moment." He gestured with his head for her to walk with him as he made his way towards the training hall.

"Is everything alright, Master?" He paused so suddenly that she almost collided into him. He hesitated visibly before turning to her, worry evident on his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked her quietly.

"I don't-"

"I know what happened in the woods."

Her mouth opened and closed a moment like a fish, before she folded her arms across her chest.

"Tigress...I know I have trained you to be fearless, pushed you harder than any one of my students." He paused. "But you also need to worry about your own wellbeing." Noticing her confused expression, he sighed. "Are you prepared to fight? Both physically and mentally?"

When she hesitated, he feared that he had his answer.

"Being hardcore is irrelevant right now." His voice softened. "If any one of the Furious Five deserves time to recover, it's you."

She seemed conflicted, by both the unfamiliar tenderness in his voice and what he implied could happen. Her brief break from reality in the woods was something terrifying and entirely out of her control, and Tigress did wonder briefly if she should remain here and heal, enjoy the quiet time away from Kung Fu and away from Bai Liang. Maybe she could keep that little lapse from happening again.

But no.

She had seen the animals from the camps, bone thin and some too weak to walk. She had already proven she could fight. As terrifying as the thought of losing her mind was, it was more terrifying to think about what would happen should she remain behind.

So, she pushed her fear back like she had been trained to do, stood up a little bit taller, set her jaw, and spoke, for the first time in a while, with confidence.

"I'm in."

OoOoOoO

A/N: Have y'all ever heard the song 'Empire of Angels'? It's absolutely amazing, and what originally inspired this fic

It came on for the first time in a long time the other day and I remembered what I originally planned for this story...

Hence my return-I hope to finish this eventually, so be patient with me as I do it.

Thanks y'all


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I'm not dead!

After an intense few weeks, I have returned bruised and battered, but still standing strong (metaphorically speaking).

I apologize for taking so long, but now that I am no longer working, hopefully things will settle down.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

 _How did she get here?_

The question seemed to permeate through her brain, sending chills down her spine and her fur standing on end.

 _Think. Think._

Running. They had run here. Paws flying over grass, wind whipping through feathers. Shang Zhi. They had run to get here.

And it came back to her, sucking the air from her lungs. Smoke swirled in the air. Across the way, flames licked up through the roof of a house. She could feel the rough stone of the wall she was leaning against. How long had she been sitting there?

There had been fighting. But she could remember every punch and kick, every takedown and every move. Her muscles relaxed, and she sighed.

She could remember it. She didn't go postal. She didn't have another blackout.

"You look better." There was a voice above her, and she glanced up into emerald eyes. "Earlier I thought you were gonna pass out. You opened your stitches again."

"Sorry." Tigress replied, voice hoarse. He wordlessly handed her a cup of water. "I needed some air."

Po's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "Do you remember anything?"

She thought a moment, flashes of memories rushing through her skull. She remembered getting to Shang Zhi, fighting in the streets. It seemed to only last a moment before the soldiers were suddenly ordered to pull back. They had conquered Shang Zhi. Part of her couldn't believe it.

"I remember everything." She sighed, taking a sip of water. It was a relief to say that, especially after a fight like that. Po looked to be in agreement.

"Crane went after Mei Ling." He responded, sliding down the wall and sitting next to her. "Crews have been put together to clear the rubble. Doesn't look like there were many casualties."

"Good." She finished the last of her water and rested her forearms on her knees. "Being here, at least we can get food. But Shang Zhi won't have enough supplies, even without the extra camps joining us."

Po hated to admit it, but she was right. This was a temporary solution at best. He glanced up, looked into the distance at the towering spires of the Imperial palace. Somewhere, up there, Bai Liang was planning his retaliation.

"It seems odd, doesn't it?" He said into the open air. From this angle, he could barely see the frown on her muzzle. "These animals, rebels, suddenly going against the guards? Makes me wonder if this was planned all along."

She didn't have the chance to respond. A young antelope came sprinting over, huffing out breaths into the chilly air.

"Masters, Crane has returned. I was sent to fetch you."

Po stood, and held out his hand to help the injured Tigress up. She kept her paw firmly on her side, trying to prevent another tear in her stitches.

They moved quickly, or, as quickly as they could. Crane had touched down at the edge of town, away from the groups clearing rubble and helping the wounded. Shifu was already with him, as was Viper and Monkey. His head jerked up, and the others turned expectantly as the pair came up to them.

"Crane," Tigress called hesitantly," you look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, it's just," he hesitated, took a deep breath. "We met someone I think you should talk to."

There was a rustling in the trees, and out of the shadows came Mei Ling, followed by what was probably the biggest timber wolf any of them had ever seen.

Tigress staggered back a bit, even Shifu's frosty blues went wide. Po's fists clenched angrily at his side.

"Before you freak out, he's on our side." Mei Ling stepped forward, paws out, trying to assuage her comrades. "I think."

Said wolf was built like stone, easily taller than Po, with a silvery coat. But what drew their attention was the long, fresh cut down his face. One eye was a foggy blue. And if that weren't enough, his tail was obviously broken.

"I am Khair." He said in broken Chinese. His eyes darted around, and he genuinely, for a moment, looked scared.

"You're Mongolian." Tigress replied quietly. Her eyes were narrowed, but in curiosity rather than suspicion. The truth was, from what she could make out under the bruises and cuts….she had seen him before.

"Ti?" Po frowned at her.

"There is a tribe of wolves that migrated from Russia to Mongolia centuries ago. Bai Liang tried to form an alliance with them." She stepped closer, head tilted. "You were there?"

Khair nodded, affirming her guess.

So she had seen him before. At the palace.

"What are you doing here?" Viper asked him kindly. The fear that had been clouding his eyes seemed to clear.

"I came to warn you." He shuddered. "Mongolia has managed to stay out of the fight thus far. But when we heard what the wolves were doing to your people…" he hesitated. "We have been setting fires on the northern border, drawing them into fights keep them away from the camps. But this morning, a patrol found a massive gathering of them at the northern border. We barely won the fight."

"What are they planning?" Viper muttered exasperatedly to herself.

"I wouldn't know." The wolf shrugged. "Halfway through the fight, they called to retreat."

"Let me guess," Tigers responded sarcastically, "they're pulling back to the east?"

Khair nodded reluctantly.

"What is going on?" Viper shook her head. "Because they obviously aren't retreating here."

"To the coast then?" Monkey questioned.

"Shen loaded his cannons on boats…." Po trailed off, voice growing thick.

"Khair, please go get your wounds checked. You are welcome to stay, if you desire." Shifu told him, an obvious dismissal. The group had much to discuss.

"Th-thank you." The timber wolf replied, obviously caught off guard at the offer. He left them and headed back into town, leaving behind a dreadful silence.

"What now?" Crane was the first to speak the question they were all thinking.

"If Bai Liang is as desperate for reinforcements, why _don't_ we take the palace?" Monkey asked. "I mean it's right up the hill."

"Taking the palace won't do us any good if we don't stop Bai Liang." Shifu replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What if I fly to the coast and see?"

"Absolutely not." Tigress interjected, glaring at Crane. "If they have a cannon, they will shoot you out of the sky. Besides, you're exhausted. When's the last time you ate anything?"

"She's right." Po shrugged. "Taking the palace won't do us any good if we are too exhausted. Besides, we need to regroup with the others."

"That brings us to another question. Where is Mantis?" Monkey's thought stunned them all for a moment. How had they forgotten about him? They didn't register the noise coming through the trees.

"Master Viper!" Jao came huffing through the tree line, tail swishing excitedly behind him. He came so fast that the others did a double take at his sudden appearance.

"What is it?"

"You need to come see this." He glanced briefly at Po and then back to the snake. "All of you "

They glanced at one another and followed him back into town, preparing mentally for another fight.

But what they saw there in the square stunned them all.

It seemed Mantis had returned, and brought a friend with him.

"Po?"

"Dad?"


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Remember how I said I hoped things would calm down? HA! I totally lied….

Anyways, enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Mr. Ping's out-of-the-blue return seemed to send a wave of joy through the camp. There was a sort of elation as rubble was cleared, food was salvaged, and the few wolves that remained as prisoners were put into the dungeons.

But, as much as Po wanted nothing more to sit and speak with the goose that had raised him, there were even more pressing matters to attend to. For instance, there were many wounded. Even though the fight with the wolves had been brief, many of the rebels sported life threatening injuries. Some were buried under rubble, including a group of orphans whose orphanage roof had collapsed. It wasn't until late into the night when the five were able to relax at all, after being relieved of their duties by the next shift.

With the moon high in the sky and small campfires burning throughout the city, the masters of the Jade palace finally sat and talked, eating and taking care of their injuries in the cool night air.

"Dad, how did you get here?"

Po's question piqued all of their interests, even Shifu. Monkey's chopsticks hung in the air, noodles still hanging from them. Tigress looked up from where she had been tending to her side, even Mei Ling's tail shifted curiously.

"Well," the goose sighed heavily,"It's a long story."

"You don't have to-" Tigress protested, but he held up his wing to stop her.

"I was part of a small caravan of evacuees from the valley." He began with a dramatic tone, setting his bowl aside. "We were stopped a few li out from the village by some mean-looking wolves. They ransacked our supplies, and stole the soup I had made!" He shook his head, feathers ruffled in irritation. "They said it was good, so they forced me to come back to the Imperial City and cook for that stupid wolf. At least they were decent enough to give me a shop…"

"You sent me soup." Tigress replied with a smile, and the others looked to her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

He nodded and sighed heavily. "But the wolves talk," he paused, face falling,"and when I found out what they were doing to all of those animals…" he trailed off, but he didn't need to finish.

"The rebellion," Crane spoke up for the first time in a while,"was that you?"

"I can't take all the credit." Ping picked up his bowl, but only stirred the noodles around. "I just helped…provide a place for their meetings."

"My dad, the resistance leader." Po chuckled to himself, returning his eyes to his soup. But something shifted in his gaze, and it seemed that Tigress and Mr. Ping were the only ones to notice. The tiger sent the goose a glance, one that told him they'd talk later.

"You said the wolves talk?" Shifu's voice was inquisitive, and Mr. Ping must have understood his reasoning behind the question. He set aside his bowl once more.

"I don't know their plans if that's what you're asking." Ping replied. "All I know is this. Whatever Bai Liang is planning, it will happen soon. He has boats in the eastern harbor, and some of the city guards were complaining about having to find more resources and metal."

"Cannons." Tigress murmured the word quietly, but it still sent a little sliver of ice into each of the group member's hearts. "We thought he might be building cannons."

"Like Shen?" Ping looked around the group, wide-eyed.

"Exactly, but bigger." Mantis replied.

"But we don't know why." Mei Ling finished off her bowl and set it in front of her. "And he has so many reinforcements that it wouldn't be possible to just storm the place and take them out before he knows we're coming."

"She's right." Crane glanced to her and then back to the goose. "We need to get ahead of whatever he's planning."

"But how do we do that?" Viper's question was met with silence.

"I think I might have something that could help." Mantis piped up. He pulled a small scroll seemingly out of nowhere, and handed it to Shifu.

"Where did you find that?" Po asked.

"Broke into big bad's study." Mantis nodded, proud of himself.

"I've seen something like this before." Shifu muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Master?" Tigress frowned at him.

"It's part of the prophecy that Yu received." Shifu replied.

OoOoOoO

When the Great Dragon calls, from his fortress of stone

Assembles an army, from the warriors that roam.

Delves deep for his jewel, through rock and fire

There lies all his dreams and his hopes and desires.

But a war rages on, it torments his sleep

Until in fire and foe, come a dragon and peace.

Divided by struggle, united by death

The warriors must rise, before he takes a breath.

And in the sun, once it once more has shone

Stands a warrior of Jade and a heart of stone.

Defeating the dragon may seem simple but,

A tree with roots deep underground cannot simply be cut.

For a moment, there was silence. Nothing but the crackling of the fire disturbed the awed quiet that now resounded in the air. And the mixed emotions of everyone around that campfire could be visibly seen flashing across their faces. In fact, the only two warriors who didn't seem wildly confused were Po and Tigress. And Mr. Ping…he wasn't confused either.

"Have you heard that somewhere before?" Viper asked him, cocking her head to the side.

"The poem, no." Po spoke up before Ping had the chance to. "The story, though...that's familiar."

"It's not a prophecy. It's an old children's tale." Tigress continued for him, surprised at herself that she knew what it was referring to. "Tai Lung told it to me when I was really young. Scared me half-to-death."

"Tigress?" Shifu's head perked up at the mention of his adopted son's name, worry etched into his face.

"The story goes that there was once a stag who helped an old fox by defending her against a pack of beasts. She revealed herself to be an enchantress, and she told him about a magic stone that could grant his one deepest desire." Po began to explain. "In order to get the stone, he had to find his way into an enchanted lair. So he gathered a small army, and marched into the fortress. But when he found the stone, it granted his desire for power. He turned into a dragon and killed his entire army, thinking they were going to steal the gem from him."

"But the gem had other abilities." Tigress continued. "So when he found it, it began to call others to it. And each animal who was called by the gem was killed by the dragon. This went on for centuries until the first Furious Five was established. They confronted the dragon-"

"But they couldn't defeat him." Po interrupted, slightly giddy. This was after all, one of his favorite Furious Five stories. "He was too powerful. So, to keep him from hurting anyone else, they put him to sleep with the awesome Weixing wave and left him in his dungeon."

"What happened to the stone?" Monkey asked wide-eyed.

"No one knows. Some say it was destroyed, others say it's hidden somewhere safe." Tigress shrugged. "When I asked Oogway about it, he said that I didn't need to worry, that all would be revealed in time."

"Great." Mantis muttered begrudgingly. "Just another normal mission."

"Could this be the reasoning behind everything?" Crane asked incredulously. "It seems really far-fetched, and that's saying a lot considering what we've seen."

"Shifu? You're being awfully quiet." Mr. Ping narrowed his eyes at the old master. The others followed his gaze, watching Shifu think through what he was going to say next.

"I have heard of the Weixing stone before." He sighed. "But when Oogway told me the story, there was something….different."

"Like what?" Mei Ling asked.

"It was one of the few times I saw Oogway truly afraid." Shifu murmured, much to their surprise. "Back when I was younger, there were many a night when he would be woken by nightmares. I once asked what they were about, and he said it was a time after he had gone."

"Did he see this? Us?" Crane asked.

"If he did, why didn't he say anything?" Po's voice rose slightly. "Why didn't he try to stop it?"

"One often meets their fate on the path they take to avoid it." Tigress murmured quietly, normally stony eyes turning….sad. Po glanced at her, irritation fading.

"So, what happens now?" Viper dared to ask quietly, looking into the flames rather than her comrades. Her question was met with nothing but the crackle of the embers.

"We don't have much time." Tigress spoke up. "If he is moving now, we need to get to the coast."

Shifu nodded in agreement, as did the others.

"Do you have any idea where they kept the stone?" Crane asked.

"No. But it may be in Oogway's journals. They were still at the Jade palace when I returned." Shifu replied.

"So, a group goes to the valley, and a group goes to the coast?" Tigress suggested.

"What is that?" Something caught Mei Ling's eye, but her question was drowned out by Po's voice.

"Mantis should go to the coast. He can slip in and sabotage the boats...try to keep them from leaving their docks."

"Viper should go to for the same reason." Crane added.

"Guys-" Mei Ling tried to grab their attention.

"Someone need to stay here and protect the-"

"GUYS!" Mei ling cut off Shifu, ignoring the miffed look on his face. "Look!"

She pointed off into the distance towards the palace, or at least, where it had been. Now, it seemed nothing more than shadows in the dark.

"What about it?" Po frowned.

Tigress noticed it too, and she stood slowly, squinting into the distance.

"The lights have gone out."


	24. Chapter 24

_There was so much silence._

 _It was like running through honey, like his feet were made of lead._

 _"Po, we need to go!" Li Shan? But, where was he? The entire landscape was a fuzzy haze._

 _Others ran past him, Mei mei and Bao, his cousins and friends. But they ran by so fast that they were nothing more than flashes._

 _And he couldn't. Catch. Up._

 _There was darkness behind him, he could feel it. It was nothing more than a shadow, but it swallowed the ground behind him. He tried running, clawing his way along the ground, but his feet would not move._

 _He heard someone shouting behind him, unintelligible words and sounds swallowed by the ever increasing void._

 _And just as that cloud of darkness caught up with him, he heard it. A familiar voice._

 _"Something is coming, Po."_

 _"Oogway?" The name turned to dust in his mouth._

 _"The dragon is awake."_

 _No sooner had his voice said those words than the dark cloud caught up with him, and the ground seemed to open up underneath him. And suddenly, he was falling….falling…falling_

"Po?"

He sat up so fast that his vision was blurry, reflexes taking over before he could even think.

"Woah, buddy." Mantis was staring at him wide-eyed, and Po's head finally cleared to see what he had done.

He lowered the dagger from Tigress' throat, chest heaving and fingers cold.

 _What had he done?_

"What-what happened?" He stammered, letting the knife fall to his side. He looked around at the group, into a mix of shock and surprise.

"We need to get moving, brother." Viper explained calmly, seemingly not angry at all. In fact, of the entire group, she seemed the most understanding.

"Right, yeah." He nodded, pulling his feet in to sit cross-legged.

He briefly recalled the conversation the night before, and the decision for him to return to the Valley of Peace. Mei Ling was leading a small party to investigate the palace, but the lights had gone out. More than likely, Bai Liang had already left for the coast.

Mantis and Viper were headed towards the Eastern provinces, to where the boats would hopefully be docked. Their plan involved sabotaging them while the others figured out their next play.

It seemed like an okay plan, but there was one part that concerned him probably more than it should. He was heading to the valley with Tigress…..the very person he had just threatened with a knife. He felt that anxious dread build up in his chest. She had disappeared before he had the chance to say anything to her.

Thankfully, only the five had witnessed his little episode.

"You hungry?" Monkey patted his shoulder and then produced a bowl. "Your dad made soup."

He nodded haltingly and took the bowl, knowing that his dad would probably kill him if he didn't eat. But also, it was quite the run to the valley, as they had to move fast. If he didn't eat it now, he would regret it later.

He scarfed it down, feeling suddenly ravenous, and then stood from his spot near the ashes of the fire.

It was early morning still, and the rest of the camp was either still sleeping, or just beginning to stir. So, he tried to be as quiet as possible as he maneuvered his way to the city gate.

Tigress was already waiting for him, going through the supplies of one-of-two packs that sat on the ground. She didn't even flinch when he came over to her.

"Hey, we only have provisions for the day, I assume we'll be back by nightfall?" She returned the contents of the first pack and handed it to him, giving him an expectant look.

"I guess so?" He shrugged, suddenly getting nervous. "Hey, about earlier, I-"

"Po, it's okay." She said it genuinely, but he still felt that sinking feeling in his gut that he had fractured their relationship in some way. Getting threatened with a knife wasn't easy to overcome, especially by a friend. "We all have nightmares."

"I know but…" He shouldered his pack. "I'm still sorry."

She offered him a small smile, while putting on her own pack. "It's really okay."

"Tigress!" The call came from Crane, who was making his way over to them, Kai and Yu in tow. "Shifu wants these two to tag along. That okay?"

"Sounds good." She nodded to Crane, who left them there and walked towards Mei Ling's scout party. "Can you two run?"

They looked at one another and nodded.

"Alright. We should get moving if we want to be back by nightfall." Tigress turned without another word, and they followed.

OoOoOoO

They managed to make it to the Valley before the sun was directly overhead, which meant in total, the run was just over four hours long. Mostly, that was due to Po's insistence that they stop for a break.

Secretly, however, they were all relieved.

Tigress' side was still paining her, and Kai wasn't adept at running like the others. Plus, the path to the valley was riddled with overgrown paths and roots. Even Tigress and Po, who were trained Kung Fu masters, had trouble navigating the overgrowth.

But, when they finally breached the bamboo thicket, there was a sigh of audible relief.

Despite ten years of neglect, there was not a sight that even came close to the valley. Even the overcast skies did nothing to damper the feeling of finally being _home._

"We should get up to the mountain sooner rather than later." Tigress murmured, although the excitement on her face outweighed the seriousness of her tone.

"Wait, one quick thing!" Po took off before she could stop him, Kai and Yu following behind and absorbing his excitement.

Tigress knew where they were going, of course. It was hard to forget the path to Mr. Ping's.

"Well, he's not going to be pleased about that." She heard Po say and as she rounded the corner, and she could see why. The entire stone wall at the front had caved in, leaving a pile of rubble amassed in the seating area. The actual shop seemed to be in okay-condition, although she wouldn't dare touch the bags of flour and rice she could see still sitting in the kitchen.

Po shook his head good-naturedly and began making his way towards the base of the staircase, stopping only briefly to glance at the base of the large statue that had been reduced to rubble.

"I don't think I can do stairs." Po mumbled when they got to the base of the staircase.

"Woah." Kai breathed. "You had to climb these every day?"

Tigress hummed in reply. "Come on, Po. I'll race you to the top."

Judging by his expression, he was surprised, to say the least. But he didn't have much time to be in shock, because she took off up the steps, leaving him in the dust.

"Well, you heard her!" Yu laughed, watching him scramble for a moment. He took off after her, but it was clear that she would inevitably beat him to the top.

What he didn't expect was, when he finally made it gasping and sputtering, that she would be standing on the last step, frozen, her auburn eyes fixed on what used to be the main gate. He stood, came to stand next to her.

She didn't say anything. He knew what she was thinking, though. So, he took her paw in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I know."

"I heard it was bad, I just-" She faltered.

"Some of the buildings are still standing." He just barely tilted his head when Kai and Yu finally joined them, not taking his eyes off of the rubble. "Come on."

He squeezed her paw once more, and together, the four of them entered the Jade palace.


	25. Chapter 25

_She had very rarely seen Po lose it._

 _So, when Tigress entered the training hall just before morning light, she was surprised to many of the dummies completely obliterated. He had his back to her, digging into a wooden dummy and sending chunks of wood flying as the wrecked piece of equipment tumbled to the ground. And almost instantly, he began going toe to toe with another. From the dim moonlight from the windows and the single lit lantern, she could see the tightness in his limbs, the sweat glistening off of his fur._

 _She didn't want to disturb him, so she made to leave, but a sudden creak of the wooden floor betrayed her presence._

 _He whipped around, obviously startled, and she saw something in his eyes she hadn't really seen before._

 _It was nothing less than pure rage._

" _I'm sorry. I-"_

" _It's okay." The anger faded from his face and he just looked….tired._

 _It was obvious what he was doing, so she asked the next question on her list._

" _You alright?"_

 _He turned all the way around now, and began brushing wood dust from his fur, searching for the flask of water he had put on the ground when he first came in. She noticed it sitting on the steps, and picked it up to give to him._

" _I guess." He took a swig and sighed as he swallowed._

" _Spill."_

 _He knew she wasn't going to leave until she had an answer, so he watched her sit with a mix of dread and exhaustion._

" _I can't sleep."_

" _Well that much is obvious." She replied, leaning against a wooden beam. No getting out of this one without an explanation._

" _It's just, ever since Kai," his shoulders fell,"I keep having this dream. I'm walking up the palace steps and it's like I know he's destroying the palace, but when I try to run up to stop him, my feet feel like they are stuck in mud. I can't move. And then there's this screaming and I-" He broke off, suddenly feeling stupid for this admission. "I must sound crazy to you."_

" _Crazy is relative, Po." She replied with a small smile. "But considering what you've been through, it's not a surprise that you have nightmares."_

" _Do they stop?" His eyes met hers for the first time, and for a moment he looked like a scared little kid._

" _No." He deflated a bit. "But eventually, they become tolerable. And, at some point you find something or someone that makes the pain go away."_

" _Have you found it?"_

" _Yeah, Po." She smiled, a rare sight. "I think I have."_

 _OoOoOoO_

"This is crazy."

The wood was familiar under her paws, as was the dust rising from the abandoned training equipment that tickled her nose, like it did when she came back from days away. Although, now, the training hall didn't excite her the way it had back then.

"Understatement." She replied shortly, her gaze drifting around the room.

"You used to train here?" Kai moved down the steps ahead of her, looking at all of the equipment with wide eyes. She hummed her reply, watching him peruse around the jade tortoise, gently drawing his paws across the cool stone.

"Hey look!" She turned at Po's voice as he entered, Yu following. In his hands he held a familiar object. "My nunchucks!"

Yu took off down the stairs to join her friend, leaving the masters to glance around with mixed emotions.

"You okay?" He glanced to her out of of the corner of his eye.

"Are you?"

Po sighed. "We should get to work. It's looking like it might storm."

"Yu, Kai, we need to get moving." Tigress called them over. They scurried up the stairs and met the two warriors outside, where the clouds were gathering and blocking the sun.

They continued to the main palace and moved quickly through the Hall of Statues. While Kai marveled at the Jade dragon hanging from the ceiling, Po and Tigress moved into the Oogway's old room.

"Creepy." Po muttered under his breath.

Everything was exactly they way it had been left, as though Oogway himself would be entering any moment. Dust swirled in the air. Even his bed was messy, as though he had left and forgotten to make it.

It was a simple room, but the bookshelf on the far wall contained more scrolls than were in the great hall. Po began searching his desk, while Tigress searched the scrolls on his bedside table.

"What can we do to help?" Yu poked her head in, and her nose scrunched up in disgust at the amount of dust that was being kicked up.

"There are a ton of scrolls in the great hall. Start going through them. Look for anything having to do with the Weixing stone or anything related to the story." Tigress commanded and the two youngsters nodded in sync before disappearing through the door.

A moment was passed in a hectic silence while they searched quickly, but all the while, Tigress felt like he had something to say and was just waiting for the right moment to say it.

"Tigress-"

"What is it Po?" Her voice was harsher than she intended, and she winced. "Sorry."

"I'm sorry, about this morning." He murmured, eyes distant. He held a journal, but didn't seem to actually being looking at it.

"Why are you apologizing?" She turned towards him, eyebrow raised.

"Well, I kind of held a knife to you. That wasn't cool." He shrugged and lowered the book back to the desk, avoiding her gaze.

"Po, I startled you. Considering what you've been through, it's not a surprise that you have nightmares." She paused. "I'll just have to be careful not to startle you again."

He chuckled a moment and she raised an eyebrow.

"That's not the first time you've said that to me." He replied to her quizzical look.

"Well, I mean it." She smirked and returned the journal back to the shelf.

She paused againwhen that feeling came back….the one where he needed to say something. But this time, she waited for him to speak, glancing through a journal.

"The last time you said it, you said there was something, or _someone_ that helped with the nightmares. What was it?"

She froze, feeling the air of the room suddenly become dense with a tension she didn't quite know the origin of. That conversation he was remembering….it was one of the last real conversations they had had before all of this went down. And maybe back then, that statement had had a different connotation than it did right at this moment...or maybe it didn't? Confliction swirled in her stomach, making her feel exposed and confused. She didn't quite know the words to say, especially when she turned and found his green eyes intensely watching her. He had only moved towards her a few steps, but even that proximity formed a lump in her throat.

What was happening to her?

"Po, I-"

"Tigress!" Kai came running in, and the tension was dismissed to be analyzed later."You guys need to come see this. Now."

Tigress and Po looked at one another and ran out of the study, following Kai to the great hall, where Yu was staring wide-eyed at a box.

"What the hell?" Po breathed.

Symbols on the lid of the box began to glow a little. There was a mechanical sort of noise, and then the lid sprung open.

"What did you do?" Tigress frowned at the fox in confusion.

"I just-I picked it up and it-it started glowing." Yu was still staring at it wide eyed, paws clenched into fists at her side.

"Well, it was obviously meant for you." Po gestured to it. She jerked her head up in surprise, as if the thought hadn't occurred to her.

"I-" She didn't finish what she was going to say, crouching instead to take the small scroll from its case.

"What is it?" Kai crouched next to her, looking over her shoulder.

"I don't know." Yu opened it carefully, as though she were afraid it were going to bite her. "It's in an old language I can't-" She froze, squinting at it.

"It's changing." Kai whispered.

A clap of thunder startled them all. Or at least, that's what they thought it was.

"Is that...what I think it was?" PO barely got the words out before they heard a deafening explosion, and the ground rumbled under their feet.

"Everyone into the study. _Now!"_

Yu scooped up the scroll and it's box, and together the four of them barred themselves in the small room.

"We need to get out of here."

"Really? I thought about making a cup of tea." Kai replied sarcastically.

"Watch it kid." Tigress sent him a warning glare and grabbed her pack from where she had set it when they first walked in. "Yu, put the box in here." She handed the bag to the fox who proceeded to try and stuff the box in."

"What are you planning?" Po questioned her.

"We send them out the window and meet them in the woods later."

"Are you insane? I'm not leaving you!" Kai protested, anger flaring up in his eyes.

"Yeah, that's kind of insane there, Ti." Po agreed.

"Do you have a better idea?" She quipped. "Because from where I'm standing, the best chance they have is if we split up and draw the cannon fire away."

As if clockwork, another explosion racked the courtyard, although this time they could hear the sound of the wooden doors of the great hall beginning to crumble.

"Okay, let's do it." Yu shouldered the bag. Kai and Po looked at her in surprise.

"Head for the grotto. You can descend the falls from there and it'll mask your scent. Follow the river into the woods and then you can meet up with us later."

Yu nodded at the tiger's instructions. "You coming, Kai?"

"Kai," Tigress called the attention of her son,"keep her safe."

Kai nodded, a flash of determination crossing his face. Another explosion, and they could hear the collapse of stone, the fragments of jade falling from the columns and onto the floor.

Tigress moved to the window and helped them open it, then watched as they climbed out and disappeared around the side of the building.

"Tigress, this is insane!" Po argued.

"You should go with them. They need someone to protect them." Her gaze was focused on the window.

"I am not _leaving_ you." He gripped her arms, spinning them so she had her back pressed against the wall. The action was so quick that it took her a second to realize what had happened. The feeling returned, the butterflies, the tension. Except this time he was so close that she could feel his cold breath tickling her muzzle.

"Not again." It was barely above a murmur.

The massive door to the great hall was blown off its hinges, and in the thundering sound of wood cracking and splintering against the columns, he kissed her. Hard.

It was over in such a short time that she barely had time to react before he pulled away and said "We need to go."

He launched himself up and over the window sill, disappearing through the window.

Reluctantly, she followed him, with a whole new slew of emotions to contend with.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Nothing says "I'm back to writing fanfiction" like an intense kiss, amirite?

I am sorry that I took such a long hiatus, but I did promise to finish this story, and I will try my damndest to do so. Thanks for being awesome


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Hey guys. Hopefully, now that things are mellowing out for me and I'm not in a foreign country, I can get back to writing. Expect new chapters on the weekends.  
Enjoy!  
OoOoOoO  
 _"Dad?"_  
 _Li Shan turned slightly, acknowledging his son's presence while not turning his head away from the elder he was speaking to. When the conversation had finished, he turned, smiling widely._  
 _"Lotus, my boy!" His arms were outstretched, smile wide on his face, but the worry lines on his forehead seemed more pronounced than they were the last time Po was there. "Glad to see you are awake!"_  
 _Li Shan wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders and they began walking together through the urgent atmosphere of the panda village. Po, for the life of him, couldn't remember how he got there, but his side ached with every breath and there was quite the gauze cast around his leg that was difficult to move in._

 _"How did I-"_  
 _"We found you passed out in the woods." Li Shan's smile faded._  
 _It came back to Po in flashes. He remembered running, ducking through the undergrowth with sopping wet fur. The memory of howling pierced his ears._  
 _"Tigress." The name fell across his lips in a panicked whisper as he remembered what happened in the gorge. "I need to find Tigress." He spoke up. Li Shan watched him cautiously, holding him back as he tried to jerk forward._  
 _"Po!" The older Panda stopped him rather harshly. Li Shan looked around as though determining whether someone was listening, before dragging his son onto an empty path. "I understand, believe me I do, but the Valley of Peace was overrun. You go back there, and they will kill you."_  
 _"I have to find her-"_  
 _"I know, son." Li Shan relaxed his hold on Po, voice softening. "But for now, you need to rest and heal."_  
 _Deep down, Po knew his father was right. Now, he needed to focus on the evacuation. The entire village was moving up the mountain for their safety. He could find Tigress once they were settled. He followed as his father led him to the dining hall, intent on getting some food._  
 _But the bad feeling in his gut would just not go away._  
OoOoOoO  
"Where are we?" Yu called back softly, avoiding yelling in case they were being followed. But the thunderous bursts of lightning overhead would probably drown out anything they were yelling to each other anyway.  
"No idea." Kai slowed until they were jogging side by side through the trees. They could still hear cannon fire in the distance.  
Yu looked over and noticed that Kai was not only slowing down, but that his brow was creased deep with worry. "What is it?"  
"I can't leave her." He breathed, finally coming to a stop. "I just,-I can't."  
"Kai, we have to get this back to camp. Going back there is suicide, you know that." She urged, but in reality, she agreed with him. She wished she could help instead of running away like a kit. "What did you have in mind?"  
OoOoOoO  
"This is not what I had in mind when we said we should come back to the valley!"  
"Po, focus!" Tigress urged, yanking him down just as another explosion rocked the courtyard. They had managed to make it up the hill to the kitchen, which would buy them a little time until they could figure out their next move. From what they could gather, the cannon fire was coming from the valley below. It was safe to say that the wolves didn't specifically know where they were, and were firing randomly at the mountain.  
"How did they even know we were here?" Po huffed out, looking angry and hiding his shaking paws at his side. They had barred the door with the kitchen table, and he leaned against it, feet splayed out in front of him.  
"Probably have been patrolling the valley for a while, Po." Tigress' voice dropped. "We need to figure out how to get down from here." She winced as another cannon blast shook the building. "They'll bring down the whole mountain!"  
"Can we hold out until this storm hits?" Po replied, casting his wide green eyes out the window at the approaching thunderheads bringing rain. Lightning flashed in the distance.  
"Maybe." She winced at another explosion. The wooden walls rattled around them. Two pots clanged together from where they hung on the wall. She looked to Po and finally noticed just how bad he was shaking. "Po, what is it?"  
"It's-it's nothing." He stood from where he sat, obviously avoiding her gaze.  
"It's okay to be afraid." She replied softly, waiting for him to say something, anything. Another explosion, the walls shook. The pans clanged together in her head, and she suddenly got a really bad, probably deadly idea.  
He finally looked at her, but only after she had turned her back and neared the wok hanging on the wall.  
"I think they only brought one cannon." Her eyes remained focused on the wok, wondering where the hell an idea like that had come from. Usually Po was the one with the insane ideas.  
"What makes you say that?"  
"If they brought multiple, they would have obliterated us by now."  
He knew that look on her face, the way her tail flicked back and forth. Despite all these years, he knew her body language just as well as though they hadn't been separated for a decade.  
"What are you thinking?"  
She turned towards him. For a moment, the room was quiet. He noticed it at the same time she did, and their eyes locked in mutual dread and understanding.  
The cannon fire had stopped.  
OoOoOoO  
"Excuse me, gentlemen," Kai tried to hide the fact that his paws were shaking by folding them behind his back and tightening his jaw,"But what _exactly_ are you doing?"  
Yu watched from the edge of the tree line as the entire pack, at least twenty wolves, turned towards the young tiger. The air seemed thick with tension, and with the cannon fire halted, the courtyard was completely silent. Only the thunder overhead broke the silence.  
" _You_!" One of the wolves snarled, stepping forward a few paces. "I know you!" Several of his comrades growled low in response to the small escalation in hostilities.  
"Do you now?" Kai smirked, trying not to look absolutely terrified at the several angry snarls directed his way. He just hoped that his mother would get the hint and run while she had the chance.  
"You're that _brat_ from the palace." A second wolf stepped forward.  
"Oh, how clever." Kai nodded. He knew then that challenging them wouldn't be smart, so he decided to try a different tactic. "Bai Liang will be impressed."  
The wolves seemed…confused for a moment. They watched him with a mixture of apprehension and distrust as he took one step forward, and then another.  
Truth was, Kai had no plan when he decided to walk into the center of town to confront them. All he knew was that hopefully, by doing so, he could halt the cannon fire long enough for his mother to escape. With Bai Liang's communication network totally scattered (thanks to the rebels little uprising) and his wolves scattered all along the east, he hoped that they hadn't yet heard that he had escaped from the Imperial City, even though that had been at least two weeks ago.  
"You look so confused. Surely you have heard?" Kai scoffed. "Bai Liang has requested your presence in the port cities. I assume you read the letter he sent many hours ago."  
The first wolf that had stepped forward looked to the second, obviously confused. "We were given orders to remain here with the cannon and protect the valley from _intruders_."  
"Those were your orders _yesterday_." Kai fired back, eyes stony. "I can assure you that the orders have changed." Out in the distance, he could see something moving quickly the thousand steps. He only hoped he could hold the wolves until his mother could get down to the village.  
"And why should we believe you?" A third wolf stepped forward. As though psychic, several others also moved, their lips raised in a snarl. "You ran away from the Imperial palace, did you not?"  
Shit, Kai thought to himself. They had heard. He forced himself not to show the dread that sat low in his belly and the ice that clung to his paws.  
"You can believe whatever you'd like." Kai shrugged, remaining aloof. That moving shape going down the stairs had disappeared, and he hoped he hadn't been imagining it. "Just don't believe the wrong thing."  
It seemed his words did the trick of making several of them second guess their actions. However, the big bad in front of the pack only snarled, not fooled by his words. Kai suddenly felt stupid for thinking this was a good idea at all.  
"Take aim." The wolf replied, but he wasn't talking about at the mountain. The cannon swiveled, the wolves parted.  
Yu bolted from the trees, trying her damndest to get to him, but he was too far away.  
"FIRE!"  
Kai was too surprised to move fast enough. There was an explosion, something collided into him.  
And then darkness.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I fixed the stupid format errors (hopefully)...


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: I know, I'm a cruel person for leaving y'all with a cliffhanger.

Enjoy this resolution!

OoOoOoO

Kai couldn't breathe.

He tried. He gasped for air but all he inhaled was dust. He couldn't see….Every time he tried opening his eyes, they burned.

"Kai!"

The sound swam in his ears.

"KAI!" he forced his eyes open. Hovering over him with wide eyes was his mother. "You need to get up."

He bolted into a sitting position, chest heaving though all he could taste was dust. She pulled back so he could get his bearings.

"Wha-what happened?"

"No time. We need to get moving." She helped him slowly to his feet, paw resting firmly on his shoulder until he was steady on his feet. As he steadied himself, he saw someone laying in the street behind her.

"Kai!" Yu came jogging around the corner. "What happened? Po….he's just laying there in the street!"

Kai frowned at Tigress, "You pushed me out of the way?"

Ti sighed heavily, casting a quick glance behind her. "Kai, I will get Po. You need to get out of here."

Kai nodded, albeit hesitantly. In the now-fading cloud of dust, he heard the movement and snarls of wolves.

"Kai, come on." Yu yanked on his arm, and with a nod, the two jogged into the woods.

Watching him leave, Tigress felt a stone sink deep into her chest.

It had happened so quickly that even she didn't know what exactly had transpired. All she knew was that, when they came down to the village, they had been aiming the cannon at Kai. She reacted instinctively, launching herself into the young tiger and knocking him out of the way.

And then the explosion.

It was probably heard for miles, which is why they needed to get moving.

"Po!" She slid to her knees, hovering over him. "Po, come on. We need to move."

He stirred, just barely, blinking slowly. "Ti-"

"Come on!"

She took his paw and, in one swift movement, brought him to a standing position. He hung on her, not quite able to walk. Together, they managed to stagger into the bamboo thicket.

"Spread out! Find them!"

The snarls and excited yips of wolves hastened her steps, but Po was heavy. On a normal day, she might be able to manage, but the best she could do on ten years of near-starvation was slowly drag him along.

"Ti-" Po was awake, but still struggling. "You should leave me-"

"Absolutely not." She growled low.

The only way out she saw was to face them head on. And with them scattered in the woods looking for her, well…..there were worse ideas.

The only problem was that Po wasn't going to be fighting anytime soon. She needed to find somewhere to hide him.

"Why, hello there."

Too late. She dropped Po and managed to get into a fighting stance before the wolf could lunge at her. A swift roundhouse kick sent him flying back into a tree.

She waited, muscles ready, sensing the air. Three more were close by. She glanced at the panda, who was slowly starting to move, and got another terrible idea. After only a moment of thought, she launched herself into the trees, leaving the panda on the ground.

"This way!" Someone called through the trees.

She crouched on her branch twenty feet in the air, waiting as the wolves descended on their easy prey.

Bang.

She dropped to the ground and finished the three off easily, knocking them unconscious.

"Did you just use me as bait?" Po was slowly getting moving, but he was obviously in some kind of pain.

"Yes, I did. Can you walk?"

"I think so?" He struggled to his feet and then halted, steadying himself.

There was a raindrop on his muzzle, then his head.

"There's the rain." Tigress sighed in relief. Rain meant their tracks were covered, for a short time. "Come on, let's find someplace to camp out until this passes."

"We could go back to the gorge."

"Absolutely not."

OoOoOoO

"Cuddles?"

The voice was small, quiet, filled with the innocence of a child mixed with the sadness of loss. She stared at him with wide, expectant eyes.

"Hey Lei Lei." He forced a small smile, just the corner of his mouth arching up.

"What are you doing?" She looked curiously at his outstretched paw, at the raindrops that moved uselessly through his fingers. They didn't even make it to the flower he had been focused on.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

OoOoOoO

He bolted awake, breathing heavy. The ground swayed for a moment around him. Some kind of orange light flickered but he couldn't make out a definite shape.

"Glad to see you're awake."

He focused on her voice, letting it guide him back to wherever they currently were. He was warm, probably because of the fire. It seemed they were in some kind of abandoned house.

He sat up slowly, or tried to, but the room spun and he was forced back down onto the bed.

"I wouldn't try to move too much if I were you." Tigress had positioned herself on guard in the doorway, watching the rain as it poured outside.

He lowered his head back down and instantly felt better.

"You passed out on the way here. Practically had to carry you." Her mouth twitched up in an approximation of a smile.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're okay." Tigress sighed and thought for a moment, mouth opening and closing but with no words coming out.

"I actually did it." Po's eyebrows scrunched together. He had actually redirected the cannonball, something he never thought he'd be able to do again.

"Did what?"

"Inner peace."

She sat up slowly, interest piqued, watching him with a frown on her face. "Po?"

"I couldn't do it before." He sighed, eyes staring a hole through the ceiling. Tears threatened the backs of his eyes. "Ever since my dad, I-" His voice cracked and he trailed off. She watched him fight back tears, almost horrified at what he was implying.

Tigress stood from her position at the door and moved over to the small bed she had placed him on, returning to a chair she had placed by his side earlier.

Hesitantly, she reached forward and took his large paw in both of hers. This interaction, although foreign to her, seemed to soothe him.

"You should sleep, Po." She told him softly, watching his eyelids grow heavy once more. "We'll need to get moving once the rain clears."

"Ti?'

"Hmm?"

"Will you stay with me?" His voice seemed so small and quiet as he began drifting off.

"Always."

OoOoOoO

It was warm, but not because of the fire.

It was like the sun, like how he felt sitting under the peach tree on a spring afternoon. He didn't want to open his eyes at all, but the absence of a familiar presence that had been by his side caused him to stir.

When he did wake, he wasn't in the abandoned house. Instead, he was on the ground, staring up at a golden sky. There was a breeze, and as it ruffled his fur, it brought a sweet scent of something he couldn't place.

He slowly sat up, not wanting to overdo any action until he was sure that his throbbing headache was gone. But, surprisingly, he felt fine. In fact, he felt pretty damn good.

Po had been placed under a tree near a small pond, a perfectly tranquil place that threatened to lull him back into a doze.

The Spirit Realm.

It had been so long since he had been that he had almost forgotten what it felt like, the tranquil calm and natural healing. Already, he felt better than he had in the last decade.

"Ah, you are awake."

Po knew that voice. He turned, a small grin on his face.

"Hello Oogway."


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: hey guys…

I'm hoping that by writing this, I can be inspired to start my 12 page essay that's due in three days

I hate that I haven't been around…I promise it is not intentional. There's just been a lot going on.

I would like to point out that this series does not really follow Legends of Awesomeness (you'll see why that matters here in a bit).

Enjoy.

OoOoOoO

 _"Hello Oogway."_

"Hello, Po." The tortoise, as per usual, was bathed in a kind of golden aura that had not calmed in the fifteen or so years since his death. He watched Po with that omnipotent gaze of his, signature smile on his ancient face.

Po stood up from his spot under the tree and bowed to his former grandmaster, and the tortoise responded in kind.

"You have grown, Dragon Warrior." Oogway commented, moving slowly to the crystal clear pond.

"And here I was on a diet." Po grabbed jokingly at his gut, although it didn't protrude as much as it used to.

Oogway hummed in amusement.

"Why am I here, master?" Po dared to ask, "Is this about the stone?" He watched the grandmaster visibly tense.

"All will be revealed in time."

OoOoOoO

Viper pushed herself faster than she had ever moved, knowing full well she was pushing her body past what she was probably supposed to be. But what they had seen when they reached the coast….it scared her.

Mantis managed to keep up somehow, fliting through the grass as nothing more than a green speck. They blew past the guards of the camp, not even caring as the weapon-clad soldiers cried out in surprise. In fact, neither of them stopped until they reached the main building.

"Master Shifu!"

Their cry was simultaneous, around puffs of air as they collapsed to a stop. Their muscles ached, their bodies screamed.

"What happened?" He whirled around and rushed over to them when he saw the state they were in, cerulean blues etched with concern.

"There's…..too many." Viper could barely keep her head up anymore. The guard had followed them in, but relaxed when he realized that Shifu was somewhat-expecting their return.

"Boats….the harbor…There must be thousands of them." Mantis continued for her. "There's a whole army and they all have cannons."

"What the hell?" Crane had entered, hearing the commotion from outside. Mei Ling followed him closely, eyeing the snake and bug with a frown.

"We aren't going to be able to stop them. Not alone." Viper was finally catching her breath. She watched as Shifu thought deeply.

"We have another problem." Monkey came jogging into the building, having just come from the edge of camp. "Kai and Yu just returned. Tigress and Po weren't with them."

"Where are the kids now?" Shifu asked as the concern in the room escalated.

"Medical tent. Kai was hurt. Nothing serious but they want to talk with you." Monkey nodded at Shifu.

"Of course."

"Master!" Viper called him as he made to leave, causing him to pause mid step, "what do we do now?"

For once, he didn't have an answer.

OoOoOoO

"Master Oogway, _what_ am I supposed to do?" Po pleaded with the tortoise, but Oogway said nothing. It seemed as though he was gathering his thoughts. " _Help_ me!"

"Patience Dragon Warrior." It was a new voice, a woman's. He turned and his jaw dropped to the ground.

" _Woooaaahhh_ it's Master Snow Leopard ohmygosh you're here!" Po did his usual dance, to which the feline smiled slightly.

"Master Oogway," she turned her attention to the old grandmaster,"I assume you summoned the others as well?"

"Others?"

A slight tremble in the earth caught Po off guard. Appearing though a haze came the thundering footsteps of the one, the only Master Elephant.

Po thought he was going to pass out.

"Master Oogway." The trunked kung fu master nodded towards his former comrade as Master Rooster also joined them, bowing his head in respect.

With the distant flap of wings, the final guest of their reunion appeared.

"Ahhhh creepy owl." Po muttered, staggering back a few steps, watching as Fenghuang landed flawlessly next to the tree. She paid no mind to him, only side-eyed him with a mix of mistrust and contempt.

Oogway finally turned to them, jaw set. It was the most serious Po had ever seen the old tortoise, which gave him a really bad feeling in his gut.

"The Weixing stone is one of the most powerful artifacts any kung fu master has ever seen." Oogway gave his previous students a moment to settle, watching them all tense at the mention of the old relic. Only Po remained clueless, a fact that he hated.

"You found my scroll, panda?" Oogway turned his attention to the Dragon Warrior.

"Yeah," Po shrugged,"although, I don't know what an old children's story has to do with any of this."

"It's not a child's tale, Po." Snow Leopard replied patiently. "It's a legend."

"A legend, yes." Elephant nodded in agreement. "The Weixing dragon, who became so addicted to power that he killed anyone who threatened to take it away from him. He was the most formidable foe the furious five ever faced off against."

"How did you defeat him?"

Silence answered Po's question.

Finally, after a moment, Oogway spoke up. "We did not. It was the one enemy we could not defeat."

"Why not?"

"The Weixing stone messes with people's heads, causes them to follow its wielder's desires." Rooster spoke. "Its effects….well they impacted all of us."

"The only way to defeat the dragon was to put him to sleep and take the stone by force." Oogway continued.

"Then _what_ am I supposed to do? I mean if you guys couldn't defeat him, how am I supposed to?" Po responded incredulously.

"The Weixing stone must be destroyed." Fenghuang finally spoke up. "Destroy the stone, destroy the dragon-"

"Destroy Bai Liang." Po finished. He was finally starting to understand. This stone that had been controlling the dragon…it was also controlling the wolf, and Shen. The unquenchable thirst for power, the desire for domination by force….it was a trait they all possessed. The muddy water that had been his brain became just murk.

"Remember Dragon warrior, you possess more power than you know." Oogway spoke up encouragingly. "You are a fighter, yes, but also a healer, a protector,"

"A friend," Elephant continued.

"And a lover." Snow Leopard gave him a knowing look that made him blush.

"You have faced the effects of the Weixing stone before and just didn't know it. " Fenghuang looked at him, and he could have sworn her gaze softened.

"But where is it?" Po looked at all of them, but he could see that there was a strong haze beginning to grow around their feet. Instinctually, he knew they had to leave.

"I have already given it to you, Po." Oogway said with a knowing smile.

The others began to fade, but Oogway remained where he was. As they disappeared, he smiled his lopsided grin.

"There's one more thing I have to teach you, Dragon warrior."

OoOoOoO

A/N: This felt really choppy…sorry guys…


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Taking the time to finally update. Thanks for your patience guys. I love all of you!  
OoOoOoO

Kai was antsy.

No, not just ansty- He was nervous, pacing the floor repeatedly despite the exhaustion that pulled at his bones.

They had made it out of the Valley of Peace, just barely, and in doing so, he had to leave his mother behind.

"Kai, you need rest." Yu had been placed on a cot in the medical tent beside his, and she sat on the edge of it, looking at the small box in front of her with a mix of shell shock and curiosity.

"I can't." He mumbled. "What if they got caught? It's been hours."

"They didn't get caught. They're both smarter than that." She chastised, drawing the blanket tighter around herself. The rain had faded not too long ago, leaving a chill in the air at the oncoming autumn.

"This is all my fault." As the realization finally dawned on him, Kai sat on the edge of his bed, wide-eyed. "If I had just run like I was supposed to, none of this would have happened."

"Kai," Yu grabbed her thin pillow and chucked it at him. It smacked him squarely in the muzzle, and he looked at her, bewildered, "stop being an idiot. We would have separated anyway. They are two kung fu masters. I _think_ they can handle themselves."

"But-"

"No buts." Yu turned on her cot so she was facing him, eyes boring daggers into him in irritation. "The only thing we can do now is wait."

"Kai, Yu." The addition of Master Shifu into the medical tent caused them to sit up a little straighter, watching him move through the tent with a feeling of apprehension. "How are you feeling?"

The two looked at one another without saying anything, feeling both guilt and shame.

"What happened Kai?" Viper had come in behind her master, and she lifted her head to look between the kids.

"They found us…the wolves." Yu finally spoke up once she realized that Kai wasn't going to say anything. "Tigress told us to go into the woods but we decided-"

"No, _I_ decided" Kai interjected angrily. "I didn't want to leave her behind. They had a cannon. I thought we could distract them long enough for her to get out but we couldn't and Po-"

"Kai," Viper moved to him calmly, "take a breath. It will be okay."

The snake watched the young fox reach forward and squeeze Kai's shoulder reassuringly.

"We had to split up." He finally replied. "I don't know where she is."

Shifu sighed heavily, leaning on his staff. Viper glanced at him, and then the silent members of the Furious Five behind him, looking caught between concern and frustration.

"We need to go looking for them. This storm…they probably had to hide out somewhere." Mei Ling spoke up, crossing her arms.

"But what about the boats in the harbor?" Mantis replied from Monkey's shoulder.

Shifu wasn't paying attention. His icy gaze was caught on the box sitting at the edge of Yu's bed. "What is that?"

Yu's eyes flew to the box and there was a moment of curious silence as she reached for it.

"I-I don't know." Yu took it delicately into her lap, running her paws daintily over the intricate wood carvings.

"It was in the palace…started glowing when she picked it up."

Shifu neared it warily, glancing at the intricately carved symbols on the lid, the beautifully painted designs. He had seen it before, of course, sitting on the shelf of the great hall, but he had been specifically, explicitly told not to touch it.

"Can you read it?" He said after a moment, surprising her.

"No?"

"That's not surprising. It's an ancient language." He paused, frown on his face. "It belonged to a group of healers that lived in the mountain ranges. Suddenly this all makes a bit more sense."

"Master?"

"The healers who used this language were powerful, but they died out long before I was born." He hesitated before he turned to the rest of the five and met their confused glances.

"They were white foxes."

OoOoOoO

"Po!"

"No."

"PO!"

He shot up so quickly that he collided with Tigress, their foreheads banging into one another. She had been _trying_ to wake him up, but now she skittered back a few steps, rubbing her forehead.

"Sorry." He muttered, running his paw through his hair.

"I've been trying to wake you for ten minutes." Her tail switched behind her in tempo with her temper.

"Sorry." He took a deep breath, frowning at the very strange dream he had had and feeling that he was way in over his head.

"You alright?" He looked up and she was frowning at him expectantly.

"Yeah, fine." He shrugged as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, suddenly feeling all of his aches and pains returning from the last few days. "Weird dream."

"Okay. Well, we need to get moving. The rain stopped." She held out a paw, but he show his head and waved it off.

Snow Leopard's knowing ' _Lover'_ had thrown him for a loop. That was a train of thoughts he wasn't ready for just yet, and every time he thought about her or looked at her, that memory came back to him. It was something he could meditate on later but for now, they needed to get moving.

"Po?"

He could feel her frown at his back as he stood and began slowly stretching, trying to work out the kinks from sleeping on a crappy mattress.

"How far from the city are we?" He replied, not answering her question.

"A few hours at least, if we move quickly. You okay to run?"

"Yeah I think." He winced when he bent to pick up his bag and she shot him a glare.

"Absolutely not." She took it from him before he stood all the way up, and he sent her a glare in response. "I'll take it."

"Tigress-"

"Po, we've got a long way to run and you can barely stand up straight." She fired back. For a moment, they stood at an impasse, staring one another down in that small cabin. Her voice dropped to a murmur, but maintained its urgency. "Let me help you."

He finally nodded, letting it drop, but the way she was looking at him caused another flutter of thoughts he wasn't prepared for. She shouldered the bag, trying not to wince either. In reality, her side was aching, and her back hurt from sleeping against the doorjamb. She fought it off though, and the two exited out through the door.

And found an army.

Eyes narrowed, bows and arrows pointed from every angle. The house was completely surrounded. Po had exited first, and over his shoulder, Tigress could just barely see what they were up against.

"Why hello, Dragon Warrior."

He felt her stiffen behind him, her breathing becoming faster and more labored and he understood why. It was him…the wolf from the gorge ten years ago. It was like fate was spitting in their face.

"I seem to recall us being in this same position long ago." He grinned, showing, pearly white canines. "My, how time flies."

Po was unsure of what to say. There was nowhere for them to run. He assumed the house was surrounded, and even if it wasn't, there were enough wolves to keep them from getting away.

He remembered what Oogway had told him, what he had _shown_ him.

"Can you, uh, give us a second?" Were the words that came out of Po's mouth and he shut the door, leaving the wolf completely flabbergasted on the front stoop.

"Take aim!"

"Po, _what_ the hell?" Tigress hissed at him as he whipped around to her.

"Do you trust me?"

"Wha-"

He placed a massive paw on either side of her face, forcing her to look at him, though with surprise. "Do you trust me?"

He was so close that he could feel her cool breath on his muzzle, and he could feel her try to force herself to relax through shuddering breaths.

"Absolutely." It was without hesitation, but her voice still shook.

"Could you forgive me?"

"Po, wha-"

He kissed her forehead and left her, bewildered. He opened the door and did the only thing he could think of.

"WE SURRENDER!"

OoOoOoO

A/N: Don't you worry your little heads...I have a plan *laughs maniacally*

Till next time, mon ami


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Hey guys!

This might be my last chapter for the last couple of weeks while I finish up school, but I will do my best not to leave you on a cliffhanger.

Anyways, enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Bai Liang was sweating.

His second in command-Jung Li-who watched the white wolf pace back and forth across the wooden floors, could tell just by looking at him that something was most definitely off.

"Sir," He gathered the courage to ask. They were alone in the house, the guards had stepped outside, "Is everything alright?"

Bai Liang froze, took a few deep breaths, before looking to Jung. "Yes-Yes everything is fine." However, the unmistakable voice crack and his furrowed brow told a different story. "The staff…it's almost here?"

"Yes. Coming on the last caravan from the palace. Should be here in a few hours."

"Good. Good." Bai Liang nodded almost frantically.

"Bai Liang, sir." A guard called from outside. Almost immediately, the white wolf drew himself up to his full height, the shakes and sweating disappearing instantly. It was like he was a different person.

"Yes?"

"The Dragon Warrior has been captured. A patrol caught them a few hours from the Valley of Peace."

"What?" Jung Li whipped around to look at the guard, completely caught off guard. "You captured him? How?"

"Nevermind that." Bai Liang replied dismissively. "Bring them to me."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jung Li asked him, fighting the fear in his belly when his commander spun on his heels to growl menacingly. "Should we really be bringing the Dragon Warrior to where the staff is?"

"Where else would we put him?" Bai Liang replied coldly. "At least here, he has at least a thousand wolves standing guard over him.

"And the most powerful staff in the universe." Jung Li quipped, but Bai Liang was having none of it. He snarled harshly, and Jung realized this argument was lost.

"The Dragon Warrior does not know how to _use_ the staff, old friend." Bai Liang clapped Jung Li on the shoulder, "And even if he did, he will not get anywhere _near_ it. I will kill him before he does."

Jung Li didn't reply, but he knew how this would turn out. Bai Liang needed blood, and killing the Dragon Warrior was the only way he'd ever be satisfied.

OoOoOoO

" _Tigress."_

It was barely above a whisper, caught in the breeze as they were escorted through the forest towards some unknown destination. He needed some kind of reassurance that she was still there, even though he could see her orange tail flicking around in irritation behind him.

She adjusted her pace just slightly so she could walk beside him. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" He asked, not looking at her. The guards didn't seem too interested in their conversation, talking loudly amongst themselves instead. Still, they kept it at a whisper.

"Fine." She brushed off his question, but the stiffness in her spine, the look on her face….she was petrified. It was probably the first time he had seen her truly afraid.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, keeping his eyes forward. "I should have warned you. That wasn't fair."

"Just please tell me you have a plan." She insisted. "A _good_ one."

"I do."

"So, what is it?"

"I take a few out, cause a distraction, while you run-"

"Absolutely not." She quipped before he could finish. "Bai Liang will kill you and I refuse to let that happen."

"Tigress-

"Po-"

"Will you _let_ me finish?!" He asked her incredulously, pausing in his footsteps.

A branch came out of nowhere and whacked him upside the head. "Keep moving."

Po, rubbing his head, grumbled under his breath as he began moving once more. Once the conversation amongst the wolves had picked up, he spoke again.

"The staff that Oogway gave me…" he trailed off, but she got his meaning.

"Wow." She murmured, staring ahead wide-eyed, "did not see that one coming."

"I need you to get it."

"Of course." She replied, jaw set. "Where is it?"

"I think it's with Bai Liang. Seems fitting he'd keep it nearby, but I don't know. Can you find it?" He glanced at her just enough to see her smirk and knew that he had his answer. "There's fifteen wolves total. Five in front-"

"Three on each side, nine behind us." She rolled her shoulders. "Come on, Po. You know me better than that."

"You ready to run?"

"Absolutely."

"Hey wolf guy!" Po called loudly, getting the attention of the white wolf leading their procession. "I gotta take a leak. Can we stop?"

"Piss yourself." He snarled back, not stopping. Several of the wolves chuckled.

The procession continued several more yards before Po found something he could use-a large rock. He picked it up and, to the best of his handcuffed ability, chucked it within one fluid motion, flinging it straight into the back of the white wolf's head.

He whipped around and growled, baring his teeth. The whole procession stopped, attention on the wolf and panda about to face off.

"The _only_ reason you are alive is because Bai Liang _wills_ it." The white wolf moved forward slowly, rising to his full height and baring his teeth. "Otherwise, I would have slaughtered you _both._ "

"What in the world do you mean?" Po tried to keep a straight face, prolonging his victorious smile until he had stalled the wolves as long as possible. "I'm all alone."

Realization dawned on the white wolf's face as he realized what exactly the panda was saying. His eyes flew around the group.

"FIND HER!"

Po watched the wolf turn slowly, growling low in his chest. There was a flash of something brown, and his world went dark.

OoOoOoO

She moved faster than she thought possible, flying through the tree tops in a direction, any direction. The call of ' _Find Her'_ could be heard reverberating through the trees, and she pushed herself faster, the trees becoming a blur around her. She had at least a hundred yards on the wolves and if she could find water, she could easily outrun them.

As many times as she told herself to speed up, her screaming ribs told her to slow down. There was the stitches in her side that told her to stop leaping from limb to limb.

She had to stop either way. Going this fast could throw her off track. She needed water. So, she paused, balancing on a rather thick limb for just a moment and sensing the air before the heard the trickle of running water in the distance. Picking up speed again, she moved in that direction.

She could hear the wolves calling to one another in the distance as she neared a pond. Without hesitation, she jumped in, wading through the almost-frigid water without much hesitation and coming out on the other side.

Her scent masked, she disappeared into the trees once more. She could hear the wolves cursing as her scent disappeared near the water, and they began to fan out in search for her…

But she was long gone.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: I'm such an awful writer….I left you all hanging for so long…sorry

OoOoOoO

"My dad used to tell me stories about my mom."

"What would he say?"

"That she was powerful." Yu's voice was barely above a murmur. "And beautiful."

Darkness had settled on the camp. The air was thick with humidity, so to cool off, they opted to lay in the grass rather than in their cots. Side by side, they lay there, looking up at the stars and listening to the various bugs and birds that chirped through the night.

The camp was quiet. For the first time in a while, people were actually sleeping through the night. There were no more graves to dig, no more fires to put out. Shang Zhi was quiet.

"I don't remember my mom." Kai spoke after a moment. Yu glanced out of the corner of her eye at him. "All I remember is my father."

"The Emperor?"

"Yup." His jaw clenched, a telltale sign that he was worried. It had been over a full day since Tigress and Po had gone missing. They were nowhere to be found. "I was young, but I remember a time before the wolves."

"My father and I were traders." Yu smiled to herself, hoping that by being relaxed, she would help ease his worries. If she were being honest with herself, she was worried as well. "We used to carry fruits and vegetables to the royal palace on occasion. I remember the day they stopped allowing us in."

"Father got worried." Kai replied, brow furrowed as though he were trying hard to remember. "He had heard about the wolves. They overran the palace not too long after."

She watched the unsteady rise and fall of his breathing before speaking. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

He shook his head. "I don't remember much."

Silence ensued once again. Only the occasional shift of a cool breeze disturbed the peace. For a moment, it felt as though Yu may drift off, but the sudden flapping of wings caught both of their attention.

Just as they got to their feet, Crane touched down in the middle of the road, breathing ragged and his hat lopsided.

"Crane!" Mei Ling darted out from a tent and got to him just before he could collapse.

Yu and Kai sprinted over to them, reaching the pair just as Shifu came out of his tent, hurriedly throwing on his robes.

"Crane? What happened?"

"I went-I went back to the valley." Crane panted. "I've been going back and forth all day but there was nothing. On the way back, I got turned around, saw a bunch of lights."

"Crane, skip to the point." Viper had reached them just as he finished speaking.

"Wolves. Coming. We don't have much time."

They all stood around, shocked for a moment at what he was saying. It was Monkey who spoke first.

"How many?"

"A hundred? I don't know. As soon as I saw them, I high-tailed it out of there." He seemed to finally have caught his breath.

"How long do we have?"

"Hours." Crane breathed. "If that."

OoOoOoO

She kept herself low, moving through the trees carefully and quietly, only her eyes reflecting anything in the moonlight.

The caravan down below had stopped for the night, and the wolves had seen fit to build several small campfires and open a crate of rice wine. They talked loudly amongst themselves, all twenty of them. She wondered briefly if any of them knew what kind of cargo they were carrying. Tigress was sure that if they knew, they'd be way more on guard than this.

She had been following them most of the day and through the night, but there was nowhere along the route she was able to easily take them all until darkness fell. With only two guards posted and the others beginning to drink, she wondered if this was a trap.

She began to slink out of the forest, but paused midstep when a conversation caught her attention.

"I don't know why we need to worry about moving all this crap. It's not like the rebel scum are gonna stay in Shang Zhi anyway." Several of the wolves laughed loudly.

"I just hope we don't have to lug all this crap back when they clear it out." Replied another voice, along with several more chuckles.

Suddenly it clicked for her, why they weren't on guard. As far as anyone knew, she had run back to Shang Zhi. All of the rebels were in Shang Zhi. If they were taken out….

Her vision turned red, her whole body quaking with absolute rage as she caught on, and there was no control left in her.

She snapped so completely, lunging from her hiding place in pure, uncontrolled fury. There were no strategies, no plans as she moved around the small clearing, claws on automatic and finding their target without so much as an ounce of hesitation.

She only paused when there were no more wolves running after her, breathing ragged and uneven. It finally dawned on her after a moment what exactly she had done, how much blood she had on her paws.

 _Shang Zhi._

The word permeated her thoughts, long enough for her to come to her senses, to figure out some way of stopping the wolves before they could get to the city. But, she was several hours away and Po was still locked up somewhere.

Her gaze drifted to the crates on the back of the cart and somehow she knew which one housed the object she was looking for.

The staff.

She removed it carefully from its box and held it in her paw a moment, feeling the warm metal against her paw pads. For a split second, she marveled at its intricacy, its beauty. There was a power coursing through it. She thought of all the things she could do with that staff…

 _Shang Zhi._

Right. She had to come up with a plan. Looking around, she didn't have many options. There were only three carts in the caravan. Not daring to let go of the staff, she began working the three carts closer to one another, getting some semblance of a plan forming in her brain. After grabbing a rather thick branch from a low hanging tree, she worked it over one of the fires until the end was coated in flames. Without flinching, she tossed her makeshift torch into the carts, and watched as the straw in them began to catch first.

When she was sure the blaze was big enough, she tightened her hold on the staff and disappeared into the darkness.

OoOoOoO

His head hurt….a lot. As he sat up slowly from the metal cot in his cell, the entire room seemed to spin around him. The air down wherever he was was chilly, and he shivered.

There were no windows. He could only assume it was night outside. The area outside of his cell was silent….in fact he wasn't even sure if a guard was posted out there. He tried to see through the bars, but all he saw was a stone hallway leading out into who-knows-what.

Fighting through his headache, he moved to the back of his stone prison and began feeling the walls for a draft, or anything else he could take advantage of, but the cell was sealed tight. He wasn't getting out anytime soon.

The distant echo of footsteps caught his attention. He returned to the cot and sat on the edge, awaiting whomever his visitor might be.

"Ah, you're awake." The wolf he could only assume was Bai Liang stopped in front of his cell door, two armed gorilla guards on either side. "I am _so_ glad we could finally meet. I'm a huge fan."

Seeing as how he wasn't going anywhere, Po decided to make the best of his situation. "I could have just given you an autograph. No reason to lock me up."

Bai Liang barked out a sarcastic laugh before his countenance became serious. "In all honesty, Dragon Warrior, you're not the one we are after."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's true. We are after your little tiger friend."

Po managed, somehow, to maintain his composure, but he wanted nothing more than to punch the stupid white wolf in the face. "Don't know where she is."

Bai Liang didn't seem surprised by this revelation. "See, Po, I know that. I did live with the woman for ten years. And I also know that she wouldn't return back to Shang Zhi. But see, my wolves, well they don't know her like I do."

Po was convinced that the canine was only saying this to get under his skin. But his little speech told Po that they had no idea where Tigress was, which was a good thing.

"They are so convinced, that they left for Shang Zhi a few hours ago."

Bai Liang watched the panda like a hawk, eyes narrowed, but the Dragon Warrior was doing an incredible job of maintaining his composure. On the inside, however, it felt like his chest had caved in.

"They will slaughter everyone." Bai Liang's voice dropped down to murmur. Po's grip on the bed tightened, but he managed to remain straight-faced. "Unless, of course, you tell me what you two are after."

"World Peace." Po fired back, but he was worried. Being stuck in this cell meant he couldn't help anyone, and if what Bai Liang was saying was true, the rebels of Shang Zhi didn't have much time.

Bai Liang chuckled coldly. "Well, if that is true, Dragon Warrior, I'll be sure to put it on their _graves._ "

With that he turned away and disappeared down the hall, leaving Po completely and utterly alone.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Lil bit of a long chapter as thanks for being patient with me.

OoOoOoO


End file.
